Extracted from the Borneo Bulletin

EU says S'wak timber legally sourced 

Tue, 1 April 2008

KUCHING (Bernama) - The Sarawak Timber Association (STA) has assured the European Union (EU) that all logs produced and exported by its members are from legal sources, as the timber industry is being stringently regulated.

It stressed that even in cases of disputes over land rights and land use in the state, the legality of the timber extracted from these areas can never be disputed because they are from licensed areas, where logging is permitted.

It recently submitted representations to this effect to the stakeholders consultation involving the Legality Assurance System.

STA chairman Datuk Leo Chai said today STA had taken part in all four consultations on the European Union-Forest Law Enforcement Governance & Trade-Voluntary Partnership Agreement.

This is an initiative by Malaysia's Plantation Industries & Commodities Ministry to address the issue of legality verification of timber.

"Our association submitted representations in Kuala Lumpur on March 17-18 emphasising that the regulatory framework in Sarawak ensures that there should be no illegal logging or timber trade in the state," he told the STA annual general meeting here.

Sarawak exported RM6 billion worth of timber products, including logs, sawn timber, plywood, veneer, mouldings and dowels, between January and November last year compared to RM8 billion in the whole of 2006.

Japan accounted for 36 per cent of its exports, followed by India, Taiwan, the Middle East, South Korea, China, Europe and the United States, with plywood making up 53.3 per cent of the timber trade.