By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 21: The Penan and Kenyah indigenous communities of Long Urun in Belaga have issued an urgent appeal to the Sarawak and federal governments to immediately stop large-scale forest clearing allegedly carried out by a plantation company on their ancestral lands.
In a joint statement today, advocacy groups SAVE Rivers Network and The Borneo Project said the communities’ formal letter was sent this week to Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, several State department heads, and federal Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.
The communities alleged that since late 2023, bulldozers have been clearing vast tracts of native forest in direct violation of Malaysia’s “no deforestation” rules for the palm oil sector.
They claimed the clearing continued despite numerous attempts to halt the activity, including a court injunction, peaceful blockades, a petition, reports to the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam), and a formal complaint to the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) Board.
In their letter, the communities stressed that the company’s actions were in breach of MSPO standards, which prohibit the conversion of natural forest to oil palm after Dec 31, 2019.
They also argued that the plantation company had failed to meet the conditions of its Provisional Lease, first issued in 1997, and was now clearing forest after the stipulated timeframe had expired.
Furthermore, they said the destruction encroached upon Native Customary Rights (NCR) land without the communities’ free, prior, and informed consent.
“For generations, these forests have been our source of food, clean water, medicine, cultural identity, and livelihoods,” the letter stated. “We urge you to act quickly, as every day of delay brings irreversible loss to our environment and our culture.”
Community members further alleged that their peaceful resistance has been met with intimidation. They said police dismantled their blockades twice since December 2024 and arrested five villagers, escalating tensions in the area.
The communities are calling for an immediate halt to all forest clearing by the company pending an independent investigation, as well as a government probe into possible breaches of MSPO standards, Provisional Lease conditions, and both State and federal laws.
They are also demanding formal recognition and protection of NCR lands to ensure that no further development proceeds without free, prior, and informed consent, while urging the public release of all Provisional Lease maps, demarcation records, and environmental impact assessments.
SAVE Rivers director Celine Lim underscored the wider implications of the dispute, warning that the controversy is not only about the rights of the Penan and Kenyah but also about Malaysia’s global reputation.
“This is not just a local issue,” she said. “It is a test of Sarawak’s and Malaysia’s credibility on the global stage.” — DayakDaily
