Two opposition members of the Sarawak legislature have found it a trying start to the sitting which began today, because the Speaker’s Office has rejected their questions.

NONE See Chee How (PKR-Batu Lintang) had submitted a question for oral reply on why the state Forestry Department had issued nine licences to companies to extract timber from catchment areas.

Speaker Asfia Awang Nasar rejected the question,telling See to substantiate his claim.

See then went back to his source to get more details about the licences and the names of the companies involved.

“To my surprise, the source handed over to me not just the extra details, but also a  copy of a licence issued to a company to (extract) timber from the famed Batang Ai National Park in Lubok Antu,” See told reporters today.

orang utan in the jungle 191205 There are about 2,000 orang utan in the Batang Ai National Park, which is adjacent to the another famed wildlife sanctuary, the Lanjak Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary.

See said he had re-submitted the question to the Speaker’s Office and is hopeful it will be included when the three-day Question session starts tomorrow.

He said the licences carry the names and signatures of the former Forestry Department director and acting director.

“It is up to the state government to investigate whether the former director and the acting director issued the licences and later on, to take appropriate action,” he said.

See, who is in charge of tourism, heritage and environment in Pakatan Rakyat’s shadow cabinet, said the catchment areas licensed to the companies are large.

illegal deforestation logging penerokaan haram “I know the names of the companies and I have maps showing the areas licensed to them to log,” he said.

He said one licence was issued to a company to cut trees in Bengoh, which forms the catchment area of Sungai Sarawak.

The licence, however, was revoked following complaints by Deputy Tourism Minister James Dawos Mamit.

See said licences should never have been issued to fell trees in catchment areas.

“Common sense tells us that logging activities in the catchment areas will pollute the source of water,” he said.

He added that it is against state laws to fell trees in catchment areas.

‘Sensitive issues?’

Opposition Leader Wong Ho Leng (DAP-Bukit Assek), meanwhile, is perplexed as to why this three questions for oral reply had been thrown out, as no reason was given.

NONE Wong told reporters today that the first question was on steps being taken to reduce alleged leakages and corruption.

“It seems that the words ‘corruption, grand corruption and timber corruption’ have become very, very sensitive in Sarawak’s political dictionary.

“So, may be whenever you mention ‘corruption’, it is linked to somebody. So, I think every where it is a manifestation which the Sarawak government cannot take.”

A second question was on alleged smuggling activities along the Sarawak-West Kalimantan border.

Wong said firearms could have been smuggled through such jalan tikus (illegal routes) into Sarawak from west Kalimantan, and that the weapons could have been used for crimes in the state.

“I expressed concern about the rise (in incidents) of armed robbery, snatch thefts, house break-ins and thefts in Sarawak. Members of public now fear for their safety,” he said.

The third question was a follow-up one, in which he asked the the Housing and Development Commission on the termite problem at the Sibu Jaya housing project in Sibu. An assistant minister of housing and urban development had promised to look into it.

“The termites have been infesting the houses, and I wanted to do the follow what steps the Housing and Urban Development has taken to remedy the situation. Even that question was thrown out by the speaker,” Wong complained.

He said he would see if he can raise these questions when debating the motion of thanks on the Yang di-Pertua Negeri’s address.