THE Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia will issue guidelines on the jurisdiction of state governments in managing forests in their own states, said Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar.

In line with this, he said his ministry would propose amendments to the National Forestry Act 1984 to include concerns surrounding logging licences and gazetting of forests. 

“If all the state governments follow the set process, problems will not arise. But what I see now is that the power to gazette forest reserves all lies with the state executive council. That is why decisions to gazette forests are easily made at exco meetings,” he said at a joint Pesta Kaamatan, Hari Gawai and Aidilfitri celebration at the ministry in Putrajaya today.

Dr Xavier also urged states to cooperate with the federal government and follow standard operating procedures for forests that are also water catchment areas.

“Forest management could be a sensitive issue and impact the country’s major commodity, palm oil. It occurs when forest reserves are opened up and turned into vast oil palm plantations.

“Foreign countries view this commodity as the result of deforestation and refuse to buy the commodity. This action can adversely affect our economy,” he said.

He said instead of each state referring to their respective enactments in managing forests, with the guidelines, forest management could be made uniform for all states. – Bernama, June 18, 2019.