A total of 51 forest offence cases were recorded in Sarawak between November 2025 and April 2026, with six individuals already convicted in court.
Deputy Premier and Second Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said three cases had been registered for prosecution during the period.
Of the total, he said one case has been concluded by the court with six accused persons convicted while two other cases are still undergoing prosecution and trial.
“A total of RM302,527 in compounds and RM211,598 from the disposal and sale of confiscated timber had also been collected during the same period. Meanwhile, 48 cases are still under various stages of investigation,” he said.
He said this in his ministerial winding up speech today.
Awang Tengah stressed that the state government would not compromise on any violations of forestry-related laws and would continue strengthening enforcement efforts to ensure forest resources are managed with integrity and accountability.
“The Forest Department Sarawak (FDS) had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Enforcement Leadership and Management University last year to strengthen the capacity and skills of forest enforcement personnel through training and professional development programmes,” he said.
On wildlife and Totally Protected Areas (TPA), Awang Tengah said enforcement and patrol operations would continue to be intensified by Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) to curb illegal activities.
He revealed that from November 2025 to April 2026, SFC opened 29 investigation papers involving wildlife and protected area offences, comprising 28 cases under the Wildlife Protection Ordinance 1998 and one case under the National Parks and Nature Reserves Ordinance 1998.
“During the same period, four cases were brought to court for prosecution, three cases were compounded while the remaining cases are still under investigation. Moreover, eight offenders had been charged and fined a total of RM78,500 with all fines fully settled while RM65,836 in compounds had also been issued including for cases opened in previous years,” he said.
To strengthen wildlife enforcement capabilities, Awang Tengah said 24 SFC officers attended the Dynamic Environment Evidence Recovery – Wildlife Crime Scene Exploitation training organised jointly with TRACE Wildlife Forensic Network at Piasau Nature Reserve from Feb 9 to 20 this year.
He also highlighted the role of local communities in protecting TPAs through the Wildlife Guardian Ranger initiative, which currently involves 325 community members comprising 148 army veterans and 177 local residents stationed at protected areas throughout the state.
“Under the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13), SFC is implementing seven projects to improve infrastructure facilities at protected areas. A public-private partnership (PPP) approach has also been implemented through the appointment of managing agents at Gunung Mulu National Park, Niah National Park and Tanjung Datu National Park to strengthen park management and visitor hospitality facilities,” he added.
