By Dayangku Hidayatul
KUCHING, Sept 16: Sarawak is doubling down on its forests, targeting 50 million new trees by 2030 while turning sustainably managed forest resources into RM501,677.70 in community sales this year.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan said the new tree-planting target under the Malaysia Greening Programme 2.0 builds on Sarawak’s achievement of exceeding its previous target of 35 million trees planted between 2021 and 2025.
“Every success and recognition should serve as an encouragement for us to set higher targets and ensure that the outcomes of the policies and programmes implemented truly benefit the people and the State of Sarawak.
“We must also look at forest resources from a new economic perspective. The potential of non-timber forest products, ecosystem services, carbon, biodiversity and ecotourism is receiving increasing attention in the global economy,” he said when officiating the 2025 Excellent Service Awards and 2026 Retirement Appreciation Ceremony of the Sarawak Forestry Department (FDS) at a hotel last night (Sept 15).
Awang Tengah said the potential was demonstrated at the 2026 Southern Zone Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) Expo from July 31 to Aug 9, which brought together 40 entrepreneurs and community-based operators from across Sarawak and generated RM501,677.70 in community sales.
He said such initiatives reflected the type of development Sarawak wanted, where conservation and sustainable management of natural resources could also create opportunities, increase incomes and improve the well-being of communities, particularly those in rural areas.
“This is the kind of development we want, not merely to conserve resources, but to ensure that conservation and sustainable management also create opportunities, increase incomes and strengthen the well-being of communities, particularly in rural areas,” he said.
Awang Tengah said the achievements of FDS in 2025 and 2026 had also brought recognition to the Department while enhancing Sarawak’s standing at the national and international levels.
Among them was Sarawak Delta’s recognition as a UNESCO Global Geopark on April 24, 2026, making it the first UNESCO Global Geopark in Sarawak and the fourth in Malaysia.
He said the status opened wider opportunities in geological heritage conservation, education, research, geotourism and economic activities for local communities.
Sarawak also hosted the 21st Malaysian Forestry Conference in July, themed “Forests as Catalyst for a Green Economy”, bringing together forestry personnel, researchers, academics and industry players from across the country.
Awang Tengah said the conference strengthened cooperation in the forestry sector while reflecting Sarawak’s commitment to playing an active role in advancing the country’s green economy agenda.
He also stressed that the increasingly complex challenges in managing natural resources could not be addressed by the Government alone.
He said strategic cooperation with research institutions, universities, industry, government agencies and international partners must continue to be strengthened to harness the latest expertise, technology and knowledge.
Awang Tengah said more local officers should be given exposure and opportunities to develop their expertise through such collaborations to build Sarawak’s own capacity and capabilities in the long term.
Meanwhile, he stressed that technological advancement should not undermine the core values of public service.
He said staff must uphold integrity, trustworthiness, professionalism and responsibility towards the people while embracing a progressive work culture focused on improving processes, strengthening service delivery and making better use of available resources.
The recipients of the Excellent Service Awards, he said, should serve as examples and catalysts for such a culture by sharing their knowledge and experience, supporting colleagues and upholding teamwork. — DayakDaily
