KUCHING: Sarawak’s timber industry is poised for transformation as the State tap into its vast rubber wood resources, turning trees once valued only for latex into sustainable raw materials for furniture and other high-value products.
The initiative follows a recent two-day lab organised by the Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC), which brought together 40 officers from key agencies, including the Ministry of Natural Resources and Urban Development (MUDeNR), Sarawak Rubber Industry Board (SARIB), and the Malaysian Rubber Board (LGM).
STIDC, in a statement, said the session focused on finalising regulations and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the harvesting, replanting, processing, and marketing of rubber wood and its related products – a key step toward unlocking the sector’s commercial potential.
According to a 2023 study by STIDC, Sarawak has about 94,000 hectares of land planted with rubber wood, mostly managed by smallholders.
The largest cluster lies within a 100-kilometre radius of Betong, covering roughly 50,000 hectares with an estimated five million cubic metres of standing volume.
The corporation said timber from rubber trees no longer suitable for latex production can be repurposed into engineered wood, furniture and other value-added products – a move expected to generate employment, boost smallholder incomes, and diversify Sarawak’s timber exports.
Under the Post COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030, the forestry and timber sector has been identified as a key economic driver to help Sarawak achieve developed State status by the.
Sustainably sourced rubber wood, alongside timber from certified natural and planted forests, is expected to play an important role in achieving the State’s RM8 billion annual export revenue target from value-added timber products by 2030.
Malaysia’s position as a global leader in wooden furniture exports – valued at RM9.89 billion in 2024, with 80 per cent derived from rubber wood-based products – highlights the untapped potential for Sarawak to expand its own market, which recorded RM60 million in furniture exports last year.
Meanwhile, the lab concluded with consensus on the need for close collaboration among agencies to refine statutory responsibilities, charges and SOPs across the rubber wood supply chain.
MUDeNR also reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that all rubber wood products manufactured and exported from Sarawak meet both local and international standards, including compliance with the European Union’s (EU’s) forthcoming deforestation regulations.
The Sarawak Timber Legality Verification System (STLVS) will play a key role in ensuring continued access to markets such as the EU, Japan, Australia, South Korea and India.
MUDeNR’s Deputy Permanent Secretary, Hairani Mohamad Ismail, who closed the session, thanked all agencies involved and urged continued collaboration to fully harness the potential of rubber wood for the benefit of Sarawak’s industry, communities, and economy.
