Swiss NGO blames govt policy change for Upper Baram Forest Area project's termination
BMF claimed government policy change over logging core protection zone was the real reason for the termination of the ITTO-supported UBFA. — Photo from Facebook/Bruno Manser Fonds
MIRI (May 21): Swiss non-governmental organisation (NGO) Bruno Manser Fonds (BMF) has claimed that policy change by the Sarawak government is to blame for the failure of the Upper Baram Forest Area (UBFA) project.
In a statement, BMF director Lukas Straumann dismissed the state's stance that the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) project was terminated because it failed to comply with several conditions.
Deputy Minister of Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Datuk Len Talif Salleh said in the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) yesterday that BMF had focused solely on the Penan community even though other communities such as the Kenyah, Kelabit, and Saban also have significant interests in the area.
'We are not willing to take the blame for a dodgy policy change by the Sarawak government. Len should be honest and acknowledge that Sarawak dropped the late chief minister (Pehin Sri) Adenan Satem's plan of protecting the UBFA's core zone of 79,000ha of primary forest – Sarawak's last primary forest outside the totally protected areas,' Straumann said.
BMF claimed neither ITTO nor the Sarawak government answered letters questioning the reasons for the policy change and highlighting governance failures in the ITTO project.
In the same statement, Celine Lim, managing director of Sarawak-based NGO SAVE Rivers said it worked with non-Penan communities and they were part of the UBFA Project Steering Committee.
She claimed the Len Talif's statement in the DUN was 'intentionally divisive and incomplete to villainise the role of the NGOs'.
According to the statement, the Swiss City of Basel, BMF, and the Japanese government had pledged to support the project with a total amount of US$556,000 (RM2.376 million).
BMF and SAVE Rivers claimed after international funding was secured, Sarawak authorities unilaterally changed the project design and this area was no longer to be excised from the logging concessions but became part of a timber licence granted to a company.
The NGOs claimed logging activities on the western flank of Gunung Murud Kecil are threatening biodiversity in the core zone of the former ITTO project.
Yesterday, Len Talif said the ITTO agreed to UBFA being terminated during the Steering Committee Meeting on Oct 10 last year.
He blamed BMF's focus on the Penan community, which risked undermining harmony among the communities.
He pointed out the Sarawak government has signed four Project Agreement Letters of Consent with the ITTO – two projects on March 20, 2023 and another two on Sept 9, 2024 – with three of the projects being in Ulu Baram, while the fourth project is in Sungai Menyang, Lubok Antu.
Since 1992, Len Talif said the Sarawak Forest Department has not cancelled any project signed with ITTO except for UBFA.
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