13 /09/ 2005 (Sabah Daily Express) - Part of Sabah's oil palm estates,covering 1.3 million hectares, should be replanted with timber species,Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said. He said 60 per cent of theState's forested areas must continue be maintained as a valuable assetconsidering that forestry contributed RM385 million - or about 22 per centof the State Government's revenue - last year.

"If five per cent of the total hectarage under oil palm are planted withtimber like laran, sentang, acacia hybrid and rubber trees, I believe theState's wood requirements in 10 to 15 years can be met," he told thefive-day 14th Malaysian Forestry Conference, here, Monday.

He said this 60pc target should not be difficult to achieve since some ofthe entrepreneurs currently involved in oil palm are former loggingtowkays,. The text of his speech was read out by Deputy Chief Minister andState Rural Development Minister Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitingan.

He said the State Government was extending the sustainable forestmanagement policy to its permanent forest reserve besides encouragingre-afforestation.

"Forestry's annual contribution to the State's income were at the averagerate of 39 per cent within 1990-2000. The lowest rate is at 28 per cent in2000, if compared to about 50 per cent in 1990," said Musa.

Musa said efforts need to be continued to instil awareness among thepublic that administering, managing, developing and safeguarding theforests should not be left solely on the Government's shoulders.

Musa said as a renewable natural resource, the meaning of forest shouldnot be limited to timber and wood production.

"The forest is a multiple resource and services provider." It will beunfortunate if, a reduction in the forestry industry's contribution to theState's income, fails to recover.

"From the total 3.6m ha State Permanent Forest Reserve areas under varietycategories and functions like mangrove, protection and wildlife, about 2.7million ha is categorised as Second Class Permanent Forest Reserve(commercial).

"Now, about 1.8m ha of this Permanent Forest Reserve (commercial) is beingadministered under the Sustainable Forest Management Licence Agreement. Ofthe 1.8m ha, about 1.2m ha are managed based on Forest Management Plan,"he said.

In the 10-year planning period starting from 2000, some 550,000ha will berehabilitated aggressively under restoration, silviculture andreforestation programmes.

"To date, Sabah has not less than 200,000ha for cultivation andrehabilitation of forests of variety types, whereby about 100,000hainvolves Permanent Forest Reserve," said Musa.

He said the State Government is also aware that up until today demands onthe role of the forest towards the surrounding environment andbio-diversity will continuously press for the adoption ofenvironmentally-friendly logging systems, restrictions on timberharvesting, forests as a genetic pool and resource provider and so on.

Concern over the surrounding environment has led the developed nations togive emphasis on the timber certification schemes that have been effectivein restricting the import and use of tropical woods.

Saying Sabah is fortunate to have overcome this, Musa is confident thatthe State will continue to fulfil the global needs and requirements onsuch commodities.

"With the hope that the forest land wealth can be re-created, the StateGovernment will need to invest again its revenue into the forestrysector," he said, adding the smart partnership between the StateGovernment and private sector sealed under Sustainable Forest ManagementLicence Agreement, is the choice and fact for the State.

This is also the challenge that ensure the momentum of the forestrydevelopment can continue and be increased, from time to time until itsuccessful.

It is a long-term commitment that need to be recognised jointly, as acontract between the present and future generations."The State Government can hope on the progress and achievement of thestate's Sustainable Forest Management Policy. Although it does notachieved as precisely as planned, at the very least, the beginning hasstarted well and put in place," assured Musa.

According to him, the State Government hopes some of the 1.3m hectares ofoil palm areas in Sabah will be re-planted with wood-lots.