Meluan rep on Forests (Amendment) Bill, 2022: Govt must ensure locals will enjoy spillover effects

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By Karen Bong

KUCHING, May 19: Sarawak could become the first to catalyse carbon trading in Malaysia, but the government must make sure inclusion in this new policy with direct local community participation in order to create a sense of belonging and ownership over forest resources. 

Meluan assemblyman Rolland Duat Jubin (GPS-PDP), who raised this when debating the Forests (Amendment) Bill, 2022, emphasised that the bill once passed will mark another brilliant revenue re-engineering initiative by the visionary leadership of the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government under the stewardship of Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg. 

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“[With] the drafting of this Bill, I believe we will ensure the rakyat, the local community, will enjoy the spillover effects. A lot more economic activities can be created and will flourish from amenity forests in the future.

“Therefore, I urge the related ministries and departments to find the best mechanism to make sure the implementation of this policy later on will be inclusive of local communities and secure their participation. 

“In order to succeed, all programmes must take into account local community participation such as participating in eco-tourism-related activities like providing tour guide services, homestay accommodation, local food preparation, cultural performances and so on,” he told the august House here today. 

Rolland pointed out that the introduction of the Bill to regulate and elevate Sarawak’s forest management practices is very timely to add to and increase the value of existing permanent forests in the State comprising forest reserves, protected forests and communal forests which are clearly missing such elements or policy directions.

“Our permanent forest has great potential. We need to empower our sustainable forest administration and management practices and forest conservation activities. Our forest management and activities have always been the target of smear campaigns. 

“It is not just about proper management of our forest, but is it our obligation as a responsible government to address the adverse impact of climate change,” he added. 

Sarawak’s permanent forest, he continued, has the great potential to be developed into carbon stock, enabling Sarawak to accumulate carbon credits and participate in carbon trading in the future. 

“We must look towards integrating our forest carbon activity policy with global carbon market initiatives especially China and the European Union,” he said. 

Rolland disclosed that the average carbon sequestration of tropical forests such as forests in Sarawak is approximately 11 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per hectare. 

Based on one million hectares of high-yield and sustainable industrial forest plantation, he said the carbon trading potential is said to be approximately more than RM100 million based on the current average price of carbon. 

“This is an immediately implementable initiative which represents only 10 per cent of the forestry sector under the Green Economy initiatives in Sarawak,” he explained. 

Rolland said this will be a clear manifestation that the GPS government is steering Sarawak in the right direction towards sustainable and inclusive economic growth. 

“This Bill has wide ranging implications. It is like casting a stone into a lake, the ripples will go on. For the greater Sarawak economic transformation, I beg (my fellow representatives) to support the bill.” — DayakDaily