JOHOR BARU: Johor practises a sustainable logging system where only 2,500ha of concessionaire logging areas are allocated annually to logging companies.
Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said the Forestry Department would identify suitable areas and logging companies would have to bid via an open tender system.
He said that although the allocation was only 2,500ha yearly, it was up to the department to decide on it.
He added that logging companies would not necessarily be awarded the entire quota.
“We have been practising the system for over 20 years and I don’t see how poor forest management has come about,” Ghani said, referring to the Auditor-General’s 2008 report on Johor’s rapidly shrinking forest reserves.
The report stated that a total of 557,864ha had been gazetted as forest reserves but until December last year, the land area had shrunk to 340,940ha or just 18% of the size of the state.
Ghani was speaking at a press conference after a signing ceremony on the E-Local Authority system (E-PBT) between the state government, local authorities and MSC Cyberport Sdn Bhd.
He said if the entire quota of 2,500ha was not awarded to companies for logging activities in a particular year, the remaining quota would not be carried forward or accumulated in the following year.
He said that unlike certain states, which could use future quotas for the current year, Johor did not practise that as there were no illegal activities within the reserves.
Ghani said if the Auditor-General took into account the move made by Johor in compensating the forest reserves opened for Felda, Felca and Kejora schemes, it would have a clearer picture on the state’s forest management.
“However, it refused to acknowledge the move made by us in gazetting new forest reserves to replace the used ones,” he said.
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