By Marlynda Meraw
KUCHING, May 20: The termination of one of the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) projects in the Upper Baram Forest Area (UBFA) is due to non-compliance by the Bruno Manser Fonds (BMF).
Sarawak Deputy Minister for Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment, Datuk Len Talif Salleh, explained that the project involving the BMF named ‘Management of Upper Baram for Conservation and Sustainable Development with Involvement of Local Community’ was officially terminated following a steering committee meeting on October 10, 2024.
Len explained that the decision to terminate the ITTO project was justified for several reasons, including BMF’s failure to comply with the conditions set by the Sarawak government, citing that the BMF placed emphasis only on the Penan community, while there are other ethnic groups such as the Kenyah, Kelabit, and Saban who also have interests in the area.
“This (not meeting the conditions) will disrupt the harmony of the community in the area,” said Len during the question-and-answer session on the second day of the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS) sitting today.
He added that BMF’s proposal to designate the area as a “Purely Conservation Area” for the survival of the Penan people was deemed impractical, as there is an existing landfill near the site.
Furthermore, the termination was mutually agreed upon by ITTO, making it an official and jointly endorsed decision.
Despite the project’s termination, Len assured that the well-being and development of communities in Upper Baram, including the Penan, would not be affected.
He also highlighted that since 1992, this is the first time a Sarawak-ITTO project has ever been terminated.
Sarawak has signed four project agreements with ITTO: two on March 20, 2023, and another two on September 9, 2024. Three of these projects are based in Ulu Baram, while one is located in Sungai Menyang, Lubok Antu. –DayakDaily
