KUCHING: Japanese government officials, timber industry representatives and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have expressed interests in the Malaysia Timber Legality Assurance System (Mytlas).
Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How said following his meetings and discussions with the parties, they showed interest in finding out more about Mytlas to enhance and improve the policy and legislation governing the legality of timber from Sarawak.
See was in Tokyo, Japan from Feb 19 to 22 on an invitation to speak at a forum at the Tokyo Olympic Village and presented a paper entitled ‘Legal timber and Japanese conscience towards the native communities in Sarawak’.
“The Japanese government officials, representatives from the timber industries and the NGOs are looking forward to further meetings to enhance and improve on the policy and legislatures governing the legality of timber from Sarawak,” he told a press conference here yesterday.
Mytlas is formulated by Malaysia and implemented by the Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry, Malaysian Timber Industry Board, Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah Forest Department and Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation.
At present, certification from Mytlas is required for timber and timber products exported to Europe but not Japan.
During his time there, See had the opportunity to meet with officers from the Japanese Foreign Affairs Ministry and Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry and also numerous Japanese NGOs and lawyers.
“Among the issues discussed was the legality of timber from Sarawak in light of the numerous Court of Appeal’s decisions last year and this year on the interpretation of ‘Pulau Galau’ (reserved forest land) and ‘Pemakai Menua’ (communal land), particularly decisions involving the community of Tuai Rumah Sandah (Sept 2013), Usang Ak Labit (Dec 2013) and Nicholas Mujah (Feb 2014).”
On the legality of timber, See said the Japanese government had enacted the ‘Green Purchasing Law’ and drew up the GoHo-wood guidelines in 2006 as part of global initiatives to combat illegal logging and timber trade.
“The serious flaw in the Japanese policy to ensure legality of harvesting operations and timber trade activities is their presumption that timber exported from producing countries are legally shipped out of the countries, following their principle that they respect the country’s right to govern, legislate and devise laws, regulations and policies to determine legality of timber.
“The decisions of the Malaysian courts have now thrown in doubt the legality of timber that were harvested from the ‘Pulau Galau’ of the native communities which the Sarawak government has maintained were state land forests and are free of NCR claims.”