Malaysia has banned the export of sawn rubberwood following complaints from local furniture manufacturers of shortages of the raw material, a report said today.

"The cabinet on June 8 decided to impose a total ban on export of rubberwood sawn timber with immediate effect," commodities and plantations minister Peter Chin Fah Kui was quoted as saying by The Edge Financial Daily newspaper.

Chin said the move was also an effort to increase value-added production of timber products.

The Malaysian Timber Industry Board has been instructed to help with the distribution of rubberwood to ensure its availability in the domestic market as well as stabilise the price for rubberwood sawn timber.

Chin said that rubberwood supply was expected to worsen in the near future due to the increased consumption by the furniture industry and other associated businesses such as parquet flooring.

In 1999 the government imposed a two-year ban on the export of sawn rubberwood.