Extracted from The Borneo Post

Illegal logging exposed

Makeshift hut, cooking utensils and felled logs left behind by culprits in water catchment area, dialogue told

BAU: Illegal logging activities have been uncovered in a water catchment area of the proposed Bengoh Range National Park in Bau District.

A three-hour dialogue held at Bau District Office yesterday heard that the illegal felling of trees was first detected in September last year.

Bengoh assemblyman Dr Jerip Susil, who chaired the dialogue, said sometime last September, villagers complained to him of the presence of illegal loggers in the forest of Kampung Tringgus.

Subsequently, a team of Rela, Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) officers and members of Kampung Tringgus village security and development committee (JKKK) went to the area recently.

According to the assemblyman, the team had to endure two and half hours of walking before finding a fresh makeshift hut, cooking utensils, food, petrol, old makeshift huts and felled trees with some measuring more than 15feet in circumference.

Yesterday’s dialogue was also attended by Bau District Officer Tom Hem Mijod, an officer of the district police, SFC officers and village chiefs from the nearby villages.

The illegal logging activities were confirmed by an SFC officer who gave three reasons why the activity was illegal.

Firstly, the logging area was not an area for any logging licence to be issued; secondly, it is a proposed area for the Bengoh Range National Park; and thirdly, a licence was never issued for any form of timber extraction to be carried out in the area.

“The investigation into the case is still on-going, although initial investigation proved that it is illegal,” said the officer.

According to him, the case is being investigated under the Forest Ordinance Chapter 126, Section 85 (1) and Section 50, which carries a penalty of RM50,000 or a year imprisonment or 10 times the amount of tax based on the current wood prices.

Meanwhile, Dr Jerip also said that investigation was also being carried out to determine whether or not the illegal logging was carried out by gangsters, syndicates or foreigners.

The district officer yesterday called on the village chiefs to continue to be the eyes and ears of the government and not hesitate to report illegal activities known to them.

He hoped that the village chief would not be a party to the illegal loggers because if they were their term as headman could be terminated prematurely.

On the whole, he said he was happy with the performance of the headmen whom he described as generally cooperative and sensitive to happenings around them.