Sarawak maintains 7.65 mln ha of forest cover, says Deputy Premier
Awang Tengah stated that of this total, about 1.83 million ha have been certified under the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS), which is recognised by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). — Photo by Mazidi Abd Gani
KUCHING (May 28): Sarawak has successfully maintained forested areas covering 7.65 million hectares (ha), accounting for approximately 62 per cent of the state's total land area, said Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.
The Deputy Premier stated that of this total, about 1.83 million ha have been certified under the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS), which is recognised by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).
'Sarawak is currently undergoing a transformation towards a green development model, focusing on sustainable forest management through certification, biodiversity conservation, and the digitalisation of operations.
'This is essential to ensure that the state's forest resources are utilised through sustainable natural capital management,' he said during his ministerial winding-up speech at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting here today.
As part of its digitalisation efforts, Awang Tengah said the Sarawak Forest Department has developed and adopted satellite and Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies through the Enterprise Forest Information Management System (EFIMS).
'Additionally, the Forest Licence Portal which includes the Electronic Removal Pass (ePASS) module, has been introduced to replace the use of Pre-Printed Removal Passes.
'Meanwhile, the Sarawak Logs Tracking and Forest Revenue System (Revlog) is used for transparent and efficient monitoring of forest revenue and timber traceability,' he added.
Awang Tengah said these initiatives position Sarawak as a leader in sustainable tropical forest management, in line with the core principles of the Timber Legality Assurance System (TLAS), including compliance with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
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