Timber firm betrayed Penan? Report didn’t reflect real situation, says rep

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KUCHING: Telang Usan assemblyman Datuk Dennis Ngau has refuted claims that a logging company in Long Tepen has ‘betrayed’ the Penan community.

He was referring to the report aired by a media outlet on Jun 7, which he described as unbalanced and failed to reflect the actual situation.

The report alleged that residents of Long Tepen had erected barricades in protest of a planted forest initiative carried out by Shin Yang, citing unfulfilled past agreements, river pollution, and the loss of community income.

However, Dennis said the allegations do not align with what is actually happening.

“They are only raising objections now. For years, I’ve travelled through the area and there were no complaints. It’s only recently that this issue has surfaced.

“Furthermore, the claim that the river water has turned saline is completely untrue. This hasn’t happened, and the issue appears to be overstated to attract attention from foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and stir political interference,” he was quoted as saying in an UKAS report.

He clarified that the project is not a conventional logging operation but a planted forest initiative approved and overseen by the Forest Department Sarawak, in line with conservation efforts based on International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) standards.

“This is not a company decision. Shin Yang and other companies like Samling are merely carrying out the state government’s policy to strike a balance between economic development and environmental sustainability,” he added.

Dennis also said the company has left the matter entirely to the relevant authorities.

“Shin Yang will not issue any response as the matter has been handed over to the Forest Department,” he stated.

At the same time, he also expressed disappointment that the contributions and long-standing commitment of companies to the local community have been overlooked.

“Long Tepen is a model village in my constituency. The primary school there is the only one in the area that received approval for construction from the Ministry of Education thanks to strong cooperation between the community and the school.

“In fact, some youths from the village have received PETRONAS scholarships and are now pursuing studies in Peninsular Malaysia. These are the results of good relations between companies, the government, and the community,” he added.

As such, he advised villagers to appreciate the many corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives provided by companies over the years and not to be easily influenced by external pressures that could disrupt community harmony.

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