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Extracted
from Malaysiakini
SAM: Timber council’s priorities questionable
Apr 2,
The timber certification council’s spirited
defence of a logging giant’s proposed road construction in Upper Baram,
Sarawak, brings into question the credibility and legality of its certification
scheme in relation to sustainability criteria, alleged an environmental group.
Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) said it finds it perplexing that the Malaysian
Timber Certification Council (MTCC) seems more interested in defending Samling
Group’s proposed building of a road to reach its logging concession area than
the interests of the local people affected.
In a statement today, SAM president SM Mohamed
Idris said that, contrary to claims by MTCC, nobody has ‘instigated’ the Penan
community to oppose the construction of the road.
“The proposed road is in fact constructed in the mountain ridges between the
Pengaran Iman and
The Long Benalih and Pangaran Iman have of their own accord chosen to lodge
complaints against violations of their Native Customary Rights at the SAM
office in Marudi, he said.
“We strongly object to accusations that imply our assistance to the communities
as hasutan (instigation), which in itself appears to imply that the people are
not able to think for themselves,” Idris said.
He noted that the Penan do not oppose the
construction of the road per se,
but have demanded only that their agreement is obtained together with the
assurance that the road will not be utilised for logging in their territories.
“The people also conveyed their preference for the road construction to be overseen
by the responsible government agency, suggesting that fewer problems would be
encountered if this was the case,” he pointed out.
Idris further noted that Samling’s ‘social concern’ for local communities and
its need for an access road were questionable, given the tendency of logging
companies to abandon such infrastructure once logging is completed.
“Isn’t it true that sections of both the Sungai Apoh-Patah-Akah and the Long
Bedian-Layun-Tutoh routes can no longer be used today since companies that used
to log in the areas have moved elsewhere and have stopped maintaining them?
“Thus, how far can we entrust logging companies to build roads for local
communities when many of them have shown no interest in maintaining these roads
once their harvesting is done? Isn’t it cheaper to maintain existing routes
than to construct new ones?”
‘Respect
wishes’
Idris also dismissed MTCC’s claims that a liaision committee - comprising state
and company officials as well as representatives of the indigenous communities
- takes into account local concerns and objections to logging activities.
Citing a meeting between the Penan and human
rights commissioner Dr Dension Jayasooria, Idris said the Human Rights
Commission of Malaysia had found ‘gaps and contradictions’ between statements
of the Miri Resident Office, the companies and the people.
“We find it perplexing that a certification body is extending itself to defend
the road construction proposal undertaken by a logging company.
“MTCC should instead respect the wishes of local people and be more concerned
about providing adequate protection to small pockets of community forests from
multinational logging companies.
“In this light can the credibility of the MTCC scheme and its legality and
sustainability claims hold much water?”
The war of words between SAM and the MTCC has been going on over the past two
weeks in the media.
SAM has claimed that the authorities, MTCC and Samling have ignored the
objections of the Penan communities of Long Benalih and Pangaran Iman to the
company’s plans to log its concession area of the Sela’an-Linau forest - one of
the country's last primary forests.
Citing fears that logging activities would
cause serious environmental and social disruption, the Long Benalih community
had prevented the construction of the access road that would run through their
ancestral land.
Last February, however, their three-year blockade at a strategic entry-point
into Samling’s forest management unit - certified in 2003 by MTCC - was dismantled
by police personnel and workers for the company.
MTCC, on the other hand, has claimed that the blockade was removed by the state
authorities as it had become a “development issue” and due to appeals from
other indigenous communities such as in Long Lellang whose daily life had been
adversely affected by the blockade.
Among the hardships, said MTCC, were the communities’ lack of easy access to
the nearest town, for their children to go to school and for emergency
purposes.
It also said the blockade had also led to problems in transporting subsidised
agricultural materials and equipment such as fertilisers and pipes, to the
shortage and high price of fuel and cooking gas, problems in electricity
supply, and access to medical treatment and equipment.