SARAWAK has successfully maintained 7.65 million hectares of forest, which accounts for approximately 62 per cent of the state’s total land area, said Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.
Of this, he said about 1.83 million hectares have been certified under the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS), which is endorsed by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).
“Sarawak is currently undergoing a transformation towards a green development model, with a focus on sustainable forest management through certification, biodiversity conservation, and the digitalisation of operations.
“This is crucial to ensure that our forest treasures are utilised through sustainable natural capital management,” he said in his ministerial winding-up speech during the DUN Sitting here on Wednesday.
As part of its digitalisation initiatives, Awang Tengah, who is also the Natural Resources and Urban Development Minister, said the Sarawak Forest Department has developed and adopted satellite systems and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) under the Enterprise Forest Information Management System (EFIMS).
Additionally, he said the Forest Licence Portal, which includes the Electronic Removal Pass (ePASS) module, was introduced to replace the use of Pre-printed Removal Passes.
“The Sarawak Logs Tracking and Forest Revenue System (REVLOG) is also used for transparent and efficient monitoring of forest revenue and timber traceability.
“These initiatives position Sarawak as a leader in the sustainable management of tropical forests, in line with the core principles of the Timber Legality Assurance System (TLAS) and the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR),” he added.
