By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, July 10: The Penan communities in the Upper Baram region are calling on Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun openg to put a stop to logging operations that are encroaching into their forest.
Penan leader Komeok Joe emphasised that all 18 Upper Baram Penan communities stand opposed to the logging operation.
“Penan communities fear the logging activities may devastate the rich biodiversity near Gunung Murud Kecil, a major landmark in the Upper Baram region,” he said.
In a press release issued by Bruno Manser Fonds yesterday (July 9), it was claimed that logging operators have started an onslaught on Sarawak’s last primeval rainforests, which is feared to have a severe impact on the biodiversity in the region.
It alleged that a logging company appeared to have secured logging rights over a large swath of forest inside the Upper Baram forest area, which is an internationally funded forest conservation collaboration between Malaysia, the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) and non-profits.
Despite the Sarawak government’s repeated sustainability promises, they believe the current logging operation appears to be occurring without the required certification.
Bruno Manser Fonds director Lukas Straumann also called on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to clarify the situation with the Sarawak authorities.
“It is disturbing that Malaysia allows the logging of one of Sarawak’s last primeval forest areas inside an internationally funded conservation area,” he said. — DayakDaily
