The seizure of illegal logs worth more than RM47 million last year and early this year raises many questions which Sarawak PKR and the general public want answers to from the Forestry Department and the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC).

“The war against illegal logging and timber cannot be deemed to be successful if it is without full transparency and accountability,” said Sarawak Wanita PKR leader and national PKR Wanita Vice-president  Voon Siak Ni said at a media conference Tuesday.

She said: “The campaign may look successful from the aspect of the seizure of the illegal logs but where are the guilty illegal loggers and sawmill operators?

“We are not convinced that while the illegal logs can be traced, the culprits who cut down these logs cannot,” Voon said when commenting on the recent statement on illegal logging by state Forestry Department Director Sapuan Ahmad.

Sapuan was quoted as saying ‘... success (in combatting illegal logging) is due to the close cooperation extended by other relevant government agencies to the department with over RM6 million worth of illegal logs were seized this year alone’.

'Has anybody been charged?'

He disclosed the department seized 4,552 logs in two raids on Jan 27; 1,050 logs from a Sibu sawmill on Feb 2; 28,713 illegal logs via air surveillance during its ‘Ops Kolam’ on Feb 17; 220 belian logs seized in Kapit on the eve of Chinese New Year while a Marine Police operation force seized RM446,000 worth in two raids in Sarikei on Feb 8.

Voon asked: “But have there been earnest efforts to arrest and charge those who are involved?

“While illegal logs can be traced and some confiscated from sawmills, has anyone been interrogated?” she said, pointing out that if the relevant agencies had been able to tip off as to the whereabouts of illegal logs as claimed by the forestry department director, they should also have some information on the ones who were behind such activities.

Voon also wanted to know who won the tenders to purchase the illegal logs seized and how the management of the millions of ringgit in revenue sourced from the tenders  was done.

“If everything has been done the correct way, there is no reason for the forestry department not to properly address our questions,” she stressed adding these issues were of great public interest.

Billions in revenue lost

Voon pointed out that illegal logging had for decades deprived Sarawak of billions of ringgit and there had been not much effort in the past to curb such activities.

While also expressing appreciation for the state’s efforts in combatting illegal logging, she called for more transparency in the management of the illegal logs seized and the ensuing millions of ringgit recovered.

“We want to know how this money gets channeled back to the people,” Voon said.

She said Sarawak Chief Minister Adenan Satem should step in and oversee the whole process in the event that SFC and forestry department could not provide the answers required by the people.