The challenge in maintaining forest reserves amid plantation expansion

I read with interest the plea from several environmental NGOs for a halt to the expansion of rubber and durian plantations within permanent reserved forests .

For the uninitiated, FPDSB is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Malaysian Timber Industry Board – the statutory body of the plantation industries and commodities ministry in charge of regulating and developing the downstream timber industry in Peninsular Malaysia. Initially, eight fast-growing species were encouraged to be planted, including rubber . The ambition was to develop 375,000ha of plantations but in 2010, the target was scaled down to 130,000ha following a rationalisation exercise on the high cost of development.

This approach was simultaneously factored into the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme’s Malaysia Criteria and Indicator 2012 document with a caveat that such conversion will be limited to no more than 5% of the respective state’s PRFs. This was in line with realising the then Pakatan Harapan’s manifesto Janji 39 to balance economic growth with environmental protection. It also contributes towards meeting the National Biodiversity Policy in addressing perverse subsidies in the forestry sector .

Therefore, land security, uninterrupted growth and ability to pay back upon harvest after 15 years are crucial to the success of the programme.

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