Penan leaders from Sarawak's Middle Baram region have issued a stern warning to logging companies to respect their native customary rights land or face the consequences, said Bruno Manser Fund (BMF).

NONE The Swiss NGO in a statement yesterday said that Penan leaders from Ba Abang, Long Item and Long Pakan regions had already given Interhill and Samling Global Limited four prior warnings to stay away from the natives’ forests.

"The whole world should know that we have given the logging companies four warnings already.

"From now on, we Penan will take all necessary measures to protect our forests and we will make the logging companies aggression on our livelihoods, responsible for whatever might happen," BMF quoted the Penan leaders saying.

azlan In a bid to keep the loggers out, the Penan had repeatedly set up blockades at the boundaries of their land over the past month and a half, but “police, forestry enforcement officials and logging company staff” had on each occasion cleared the blockades.

The latest was set up on Wednesday, and dismantled by the authorities the next day.

In 2009, six Penan communities from the Middle Baram had jointly filed cases to claim their native customary rights (NCR) land and ask logging licences to be declared null and void.

As of last month the cases are still pending at the Miri High Court.

BMF’s German partner Rettet den Regenwald has set up an online petition to garner support for the Penan’s cause.