National

Malaysia Leaves Punishment of Illegal Logging Brokers to Indonesia
Sunday, 24 July, 2005 | 10:53 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:Malaysian Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Datuk H. Sri Adnan declined to make any comment regarding several Malaysian brokers who have been proved of stealing wood from Indonesia’s forests to be brought to Malaysia.

“Sorry, I shall make no comment on this matter,” said Adnan during a visit to the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry on Thursday afternoon (21/07).

Adnan said that he did not know the Malaysian citizens who were involved in the illegal logging activities.
“This time, we do not know for sure who the brokers are,” Adnan said.

According to him, if a Malaysian citizen has been in a foreign country, then the Malaysian government hands over everything to the related country.

“If we are in a foreign country, we obey the laws in that country,” Adnan stated.

During the Operation to Preserve the Forest, which has been carried out by the government since the end of 2004, the authorities have arrested eight Malaysians allegedly involved as wood broker.

According to the latest information from the Forestry Ministry, the Putussibau High Court sentenced three wood brokers from Malaysia to nine years in prison at the beginning of this week. (Rini Kustiani-Tempo News Room)