Economy & Business

Proof of Malaysia Receiving Illegal Wood
27 Pebruari 2004

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:Indonesian State Minister of Environment Nabiel Makarim has said that indications of Malaysia’s involvement in receiving illegal wood from Indonesia are stronger, as proven by a video recording made by Greenpeace, the international environment protection organization.


The Greenpeace video proves that Malaysia’s wood industry has received wood coming from illegal logging activities in Indonesia.


At the time of the recording, the Greenpeace activists came to a wood company in Malaysia bringing with them a hidden video camera.


They were disguised as potential buyers from developed countries.


“When those activists asked about the origin of the wood logs, the company said that the wood came from Indonesia. The company admitted that some wood was obtained by legal means. However, some of the wood was obtained illegally,” Makarim told Koran Tempo in Jakarta on Thursday (26/2).


According to the wood company, the illegal logs are stamped as legal by the Malaysian authorities.


This video recording was then played to Malaysian officials, NGO activists and journalists in Malaysia about a fortnight ago.


Makarim said he believed the wood to be illegal as the Indonesian Government has a policy banning the export of log.


“The Malaysian state officials who watched the recording were furious. But, they could say nothing as the video is real proof,” said Makarim.


The Indonesian and Malaysian governments are to meet next month to discuss this illegal log case. But as yet, the place of the meeting has not been decided.


“To decrease the number of illegal logging cases in Indonesia, we continue pushing buyer countries such as those in Europe and USA not to buy wood products from Malaysia and other countries that are suspected of obtaining illegal logs from Indonesia,” stated Makarim.


Previously, the Indonesian Minister of Forestry estimated that wood supplies for Malaysia’s wood industries total some 21 million cubic meters per year.


These are assumed to be smuggled from Indonesia as the log allotment in Malaysia is not much while Malaysia’s wood exports exceed those of Indonesia. (Taufik Kamil-Koran Tempo)