By DayakDaily Team
MIRI, Sept 4: Profitable non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and foreign activists should stop instigating opposition to development in Ulu Baram, as the Penan community itself has voiced strong support for sustainable progress in the area.
According to a statement, the High Court in Miri on Wednesday (Sept 3) heard a judicial review filed by several individuals to challenge a Forest Timber License issued to a timber company over a logged-over area in Baram District, Miri with Sarawak Forests director, Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development, and the Sarawak government were named as Respondents.
Outside the courtroom, Penan villagers staged a show of support for the Sarawak government’s development agenda by displaying banners reading “Memorandum Sokongan Kepada Kepimpinan Premier Sarawak & Resolusi Pembangunan Masyarakat Penan” and “Penan Community Rejects the Involvement of NGO’s in our Community,” alongside posters depicting ongoing facilities being built in their settlements.
During submissions, the Respondents argued that the judicial review was attributed by SAVE Rivers Sdn Bhd as a deponent, a private limited company with profitable motives self-proclaiming to be an NGO.
They described the legal action as frivolous, vexatious, and an abuse of court process, citing the organisation’s past record of actions.
They further stressed that the timber license was issued to meet urgent community needs in Ulu Baram, including road connectivity, basic infrastructure, and sustainable development projects, which requests had come directly from the local residents.
The challenge comes after the termination of the Ulu Baram Forest Area (UBFA) Project involving SAVE Rivers and its foreign partners in October 2024.
High Court Judge Dean Wayne Daly has fixed October 30, 2025, to deliver his decision.
Sarawak Forests director Datu Hamden Mohammad affirmed Sarawak government’s commitment to ensuring equal opportunities in prosperity, inclusivity and sustainability for all communities, rural and urban alike, under Post-Covid Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030.
Meanwhile, the Forest Department Sarawak is advancing new UBFA initiatives with the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO), including eco-tourism and Amenity Forest programmes designed to uplift local livelihoods. — DayakDaily
