Tirong Lawing, 61, a respected village chief from the remote community of Long Kerong, appeared vexed. He was talking about Malaysian timber certification. Tirong spoke slowly and softly - verbal pyrotechnics are not exactly his style. For a forest-dweller, raising one’s voice is necessary only in an emergency.

Tirong’s frustration could be drawn only from his expression: a few wry smiles and the occasional frown. Tirong was describing a visit from the Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC) in early 2006. The MTCC delegation had clearly offended their shy, courteous Penan hosts.

The clash between forest dwellers and the MTCC is a case study in the pervasive doctrine of ‘might is right’ in Malaysia. The MTCC, a supposedly independent timber accreditation body , had certified that logging in the Selaan-Linau area surrounding Tirong’s village as “legal”.