Recently cut logs, worth about RM10 million, have been seized by the Forestry Corporation, the operating and investment arm of the Sarawak Forestry Department, from a communal forest reserve in Lubok Antu.

NONE This followed a report lodged with the Lubok Antu police by a resident of Rumah Panjai Ruai Atas, Langga Lias.

The SFC enforcement officers and the police, acting on the report, seized the logs earlier this week.

Langga said he was with the enforcement officers and the police seizing the logs and heavy machineries from Pulau Galau (Communal Forest) at  Kerapa Tugong, about 15km from Lubok Antu town.

According to Langga, some 500 Kelansau trees - a rare hard wood species - have been felled by Kota Kinabalu-based Wilayah Majubina, the main contractor of Majuma, a Kuching-based logging company, at the 1,000-acre communal forest reserve.

He estimated the value of each tree at about RM20,000 based on the current market price.

 

In his report, he told the police that Wilayah Majubina had encroached into the communal forest, which the residents of Rumah Panjai Ruai Atas and Rumah Panjai Ruai Ili are claiming as their native customary rights (NCR) land.

NONE He said on March 10 this year, an agreement was signed between Wilayah Majubina and Nesaw Budol, the headman of Rumah Panjai Ruai Atas, and Jawa Empaling, the headman of Rumah Panjai Ruah Ili, for the extraction of trees from the communal forest.

Langga said the Wilayah Majubina paid RM15,000 to each of the headmen.

The two headmen kept the money for themselves and they did not tell the residents of the respective longhouses about the agreement.

 

Langga said he was shown a logging camp on March 25 this year by an officer of Majuma that the company had a concessioned area next to Pulau Galau Kerapa Tugong.

“This means that Wilayah Majubina, as the main contractor, had encroached into our communal forest by illegally felling the trees.

“It also means that the agreement signed between Wilayah Majubina and the headmen of the two longhouses is null and void,” he added.

Huge losses for longhouses

Langga told reporters today that illegal logging that caused huge losses to the residents of the two longhouses.

He added the illegal logging activities had also polluted the nearby Sungai Panjai Ruai, which is their source of fresh water and fish.

NONE Langga said the NCR land, fruit gardens, rubber trees and padi had also been destroyed by the logging activities, which he described as very extensive and intensive.

He also lamented that the loggers had hunted the wild animals in the communal forest reserve.

 

“As a result, the wild animals, like deer, wild boars and wild birds, have disappeared,” he said.

According to Langga, Wilayah Majubina started felling the trees as soon as the agreement was signed with the two headmen on March 10.

“Despite the short period, extensive and intensive damages have been inflicted on our properties, not to mention the trees being felled as a rapid speed,” he stated.

Langga suspected that the two headmen were the front men of a group with gangster connection from Sibu.

“We all know that illegal logging activities have always been connected to the underworld,” he said.

“We can never rule out the possibility of government officials of being involved as well,” Langga said.