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Plantations: Friend or Foe From the Sarawak Perspective
Plantations: Friend or Foe From the Sarawak Perspective
24/08/2016 (Borneo Post) - Sustainability of progress in development should be the common goal of all three entities relevant to the plantation industry – particularly in the oil palm and tree plantation sectors – government, industry and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
KTS Group managing director Dato Henry Lau posited that more often than not, these three entities played dichotomous roles, with industry and government on one side of development and NGOs on the other siding with sustainability in his paper called ‘Plantation: Friend or Foe, from Sarawak Perspective’ at the 15th International Peat Congress held here from Aug 15-19.
He argued that these three entities did not have to be on polarising ends of issue on environmental sustainability and that they needed to be inclusive of each other.
“The government is to be respected for its governing roles, the industry need to be hailed for its role in progress and the NGOs in their role to fight for our environment,” he said, commenting that it was seldom that the government, industry, scientists and NGOs could gather to confer on an issue that asks whether plantations are a friend or a foe.
His arguments for oil palm plantations were its very impressive impact as an agriculture crop as it is planted only on 0.3 per cent of the world’s agricultural land and yet produces 30 per cent of the globe’s edible oil.
“Oil palm plantations are instrumental in producing fossil fuel alternatives and capturing carbon from the atmosphere at the same time,” said the Secretary of Sarawak Timber Association (STA).
He added that in Malaysia, palm oil industries employed over half a million people as well as offered long-term stable income to its smallholders.
“About RM 63 billion export revenue earned in 2015 over a total planted area of 5.6 million ha. This is equivalent to an impressive over RM1,000 per ha or about RM2,200 per capita.”
In prudent steps, the Sarawak government has been working with the timber industries to reduce contribution from natural forest through phase approach employing a combination of measures comprising of planting trees to replace or compensate resources from natural forests, encouraging oil palm plantation to sustain economic development and carrying out diversification of economic activities.
“Indeed, credit must be given to the Sarawak government for its vision and organisation skills without which our timber industries would be fragmented and lack organisational structure and resources to carry out timber activities not to mention the very difficult inherent conditions.”
The BLD Plantation executive chairman pointed out that NGOs like Save the Rainforests, Forest Hero, Friends of the Earth and Friends of the Orangutans who position themselves as the “white knights of environmental protection” however, lacked transparency, and tended to generalise and discriminate against the plantation industry.
“Instead of targeting the ramification of industrial pollution and emission from cars and buses, these NGOs almost always set out to educate the public on forest land clearing as the main cause of environmental damages; often without facts and due process,” he charges.
He debunked two claims against Sarawak-palm oil based company BLD Plantation Bhd, one by Friends of the Orangutans (FOTO) and the other Sarawak Dayak Iban Association member Matek Geram who alleged that he was being threatened by BLD.
Based on a newspaper report this year that BLD was clearing 14,000 ha of peat land, FOTO demanded that BLD stop all of its plantation development in the Igan area claiming that it was carrying out illegal deforestation.
“The NGOs demanded Bunge Agribusiness Singapore Pte Ltd stop buying palm oil from BLD immediately without prior notice or consultation.
“FOTO then collaborated with Save the Rainforests in Germany and Sarawak Report in UK which published a defamatory statement on BLD with baseless and unsubstantiated allegations. In fact, the allegations were false,” said Lau, adding that the NGOs presented and demanded Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem to stop BLD from further oil palm development in Igan but that the CM’s office found none of BLD land development activities were illegal in deforestation.
“Undeterred, Save the Rainforests went further to harass with public demonstration demanding STIHL – a renown reputable and the world’s largest chainsaw manufacturer- to sever its nearly 40-year honest and legitimate business relationship with KTS.
“With such velocity and prejudice, this is clearly an example of NGOs shoot to kill action without due process of law. This is very destructive and fatal to any relationship.”
Another instance where BLD was wrongly accused was a claim made by Matek, named as the Malaysian partner of Rainforest Rescue, claimed that he was “followed” by some unidentified personnel shortly after he returned from demonstration in Germany.
Apparently, Matek made the allegations following the recent drive-by shooting of activist/politician Bill Kayong in Miri, claiming his life had also been threatened.
“Such baseless and malicious statements quoted by Rainforest Rescue in its website are most irresponsible and unfair. It amounts to no less than assassination of characters of directors and staff of KTS and BLD who are in legitimate businesses.”
While Lau said that the industry could understand and even accept the “unfriendly” role of NGOs, he maintains that the industry has contributed greatly to the development of Sarawak with billions in downstream investment generating revenue for the state economy and producing over 100,000 jobs not to mention the accessibility and welfare to the interior inhabitants.
Sarawak’s sustainable land use policy, moreover, would see 1 million hectares in Totally Protected Areas (TPAs) consisting of national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, wildlife rehabilitation centres, nature reserves and marine parks while Permanent Forest Estates are mainly for timber production from natural forest and for planted forests.
Permanent Forest Estate (PFE) consists of forest reserves, protected forests and communal forests.
“Timber licences issued in PFE are licences with individual Forest Management Plans to ensure sustainability in natural log production. Licences for Planted Forests are issued for the purpose of establishing, maintaining and harvesting a crop of trees.”
sustainable land use policy
“If environmental wellbeing is our common concern, then we should work together with each other and not against each other.”
The complete paper can be found here: http://www.theborneopost.com/2016/08/23/plantation-friend-or-foe-from-sarawak-perspective-paper/
KTS Group managing director Dato Henry Lau posited that more often than not, these three entities played dichotomous roles, with industry and government on one side of development and NGOs on the other siding with sustainability in his paper called ‘Plantation: Friend or Foe, from Sarawak Perspective’ at the 15th International Peat Congress held here from Aug 15-19.
He argued that these three entities did not have to be on polarising ends of issue on environmental sustainability and that they needed to be inclusive of each other.
“The government is to be respected for its governing roles, the industry need to be hailed for its role in progress and the NGOs in their role to fight for our environment,” he said, commenting that it was seldom that the government, industry, scientists and NGOs could gather to confer on an issue that asks whether plantations are a friend or a foe.
His arguments for oil palm plantations were its very impressive impact as an agriculture crop as it is planted only on 0.3 per cent of the world’s agricultural land and yet produces 30 per cent of the globe’s edible oil.
“Oil palm plantations are instrumental in producing fossil fuel alternatives and capturing carbon from the atmosphere at the same time,” said the Secretary of Sarawak Timber Association (STA).
He added that in Malaysia, palm oil industries employed over half a million people as well as offered long-term stable income to its smallholders.
“About RM 63 billion export revenue earned in 2015 over a total planted area of 5.6 million ha. This is equivalent to an impressive over RM1,000 per ha or about RM2,200 per capita.”
In prudent steps, the Sarawak government has been working with the timber industries to reduce contribution from natural forest through phase approach employing a combination of measures comprising of planting trees to replace or compensate resources from natural forests, encouraging oil palm plantation to sustain economic development and carrying out diversification of economic activities.
“Indeed, credit must be given to the Sarawak government for its vision and organisation skills without which our timber industries would be fragmented and lack organisational structure and resources to carry out timber activities not to mention the very difficult inherent conditions.”
The BLD Plantation executive chairman pointed out that NGOs like Save the Rainforests, Forest Hero, Friends of the Earth and Friends of the Orangutans who position themselves as the “white knights of environmental protection” however, lacked transparency, and tended to generalise and discriminate against the plantation industry.
“Instead of targeting the ramification of industrial pollution and emission from cars and buses, these NGOs almost always set out to educate the public on forest land clearing as the main cause of environmental damages; often without facts and due process,” he charges.
He debunked two claims against Sarawak-palm oil based company BLD Plantation Bhd, one by Friends of the Orangutans (FOTO) and the other Sarawak Dayak Iban Association member Matek Geram who alleged that he was being threatened by BLD.
Based on a newspaper report this year that BLD was clearing 14,000 ha of peat land, FOTO demanded that BLD stop all of its plantation development in the Igan area claiming that it was carrying out illegal deforestation.
“The NGOs demanded Bunge Agribusiness Singapore Pte Ltd stop buying palm oil from BLD immediately without prior notice or consultation.
“FOTO then collaborated with Save the Rainforests in Germany and Sarawak Report in UK which published a defamatory statement on BLD with baseless and unsubstantiated allegations. In fact, the allegations were false,” said Lau, adding that the NGOs presented and demanded Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem to stop BLD from further oil palm development in Igan but that the CM’s office found none of BLD land development activities were illegal in deforestation.
“Undeterred, Save the Rainforests went further to harass with public demonstration demanding STIHL – a renown reputable and the world’s largest chainsaw manufacturer- to sever its nearly 40-year honest and legitimate business relationship with KTS.
“With such velocity and prejudice, this is clearly an example of NGOs shoot to kill action without due process of law. This is very destructive and fatal to any relationship.”
Another instance where BLD was wrongly accused was a claim made by Matek, named as the Malaysian partner of Rainforest Rescue, claimed that he was “followed” by some unidentified personnel shortly after he returned from demonstration in Germany.
Apparently, Matek made the allegations following the recent drive-by shooting of activist/politician Bill Kayong in Miri, claiming his life had also been threatened.
“Such baseless and malicious statements quoted by Rainforest Rescue in its website are most irresponsible and unfair. It amounts to no less than assassination of characters of directors and staff of KTS and BLD who are in legitimate businesses.”
While Lau said that the industry could understand and even accept the “unfriendly” role of NGOs, he maintains that the industry has contributed greatly to the development of Sarawak with billions in downstream investment generating revenue for the state economy and producing over 100,000 jobs not to mention the accessibility and welfare to the interior inhabitants.
Sarawak’s sustainable land use policy, moreover, would see 1 million hectares in Totally Protected Areas (TPAs) consisting of national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, wildlife rehabilitation centres, nature reserves and marine parks while Permanent Forest Estates are mainly for timber production from natural forest and for planted forests.
Permanent Forest Estate (PFE) consists of forest reserves, protected forests and communal forests.
“Timber licences issued in PFE are licences with individual Forest Management Plans to ensure sustainability in natural log production. Licences for Planted Forests are issued for the purpose of establishing, maintaining and harvesting a crop of trees.”
sustainable land use policy
“If environmental wellbeing is our common concern, then we should work together with each other and not against each other.”
The complete paper can be found here: http://www.theborneopost.com/2016/08/23/plantation-friend-or-foe-from-sarawak-perspective-paper/