By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Oct 11: Sarawak’s vast 94,000 hectares of rubber wood plantations, a largely untapped resource, are poised to propel the State into the global furniture market, capitalising on Malaysia’s position as one of the world’s top wooden furniture exporters, where rubber wood accounts for about 80 per cent of total exports.
With proper management and value-added processing, Sarawak’s rubber wood could soon transform from an underutilised material into a key driver of high-value manufacturing and international trade.
According to a media release, this vision took a major step forward with the successful conclusion of a two-day lab on Friday (Oct 10) aimed at finalising regulations and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the harvesting, replanting, transportation, processing, and marketing of rubber wood and its related products.
Organised by the Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC) at a hotel, the lab brought together around 40 officers from key government agencies, including the Ministry of Natural Resources and Urban Development (MUDeNR), Sarawak Rubber Industry Board (SARIB), and Malaysian Rubber Board (LGM). The session marked a significant milestone in setting the foundation for a thriving rubber wood-based industry in Sarawak.
According to STIDC’s 2023 study, Sarawak has approximately 94,000 hectares planted with rubber wood, mostly managed by smallholders. The largest cluster lies within a 100-kilometre radius of Betong, covering about 50,000 hectares with an estimated standing volume of five million cubic metres.
Timber from rubber trees that have reached the end of their latex-producing life can be sustainably harvested for engineered wood, furniture, and other high-value applications. STIDC emphasised that this would unlock new opportunities for rural incomes, job creation, and industrial diversification.
It noted that Malaysia already holds a strong global presence in the furniture trade, exporting RM9.89 billion worth of wooden furniture in 2024, with rubber wood products contributing around 80 per cent of this total.
Leveraging this national strength, STIDC emphasised that Sarawak’s own furniture sector, which recorded RM60 million in exports last year, is well positioned to scale up its industry and capture a greater share of the international market.
Under the Post-Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030, the forestry and timber sector is identified as a key economic driver in Sarawak’s mission to become a developed state by 2030. Alongside certified natural and planted forests, STIDC stated that sustainably sourced rubber wood is expected to become a vital raw material for the State’s expanding furniture and downstream processing industry.
The lab concluded with consensus on the importance of seamless inter-agency collaboration to streamline responsibilities, statutory charges, and SOPs across the rubber wood supply chain.
MUDeNR reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that all rubber wood products manufactured and exported from Sarawak comply with local and international standards, including timber legality assurance schemes and the upcoming European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
The Sarawak Timber Legality Verification System (STLVS) will play a key role in maintaining market access to major destinations such as the EU, Japan, Australia, Korea, and India.
This strengthened regulatory framework aligns with PCDS 2030’s goal of achieving RM8 billion in annual export revenue from value-added timber products by the end of the decade.
In closing, deputy permanent secretary of MUDeNR Hairani Mohamad Ismail expressed her appreciation to all participating agencies for their valuable input, urging continued collaboration to fully unlock the potential of Sarawak’s rubber wood sector for the benefit of industry players, local communities, and the State’s broader sustainable growth. — DayakDaily
