Are Malaysia's forests being destroyed?

Reading your report M’sian timber exporters see strong demand from India brings up several issues that will have long term impact on our country as an environmental friendly place, and a country which heeds to the call to preserve our forests, and do our part to control and push back Global Warming. With this in mind, some statements made by the company have cause for concern:

• Quote: "Last year, Malaysia exported timber and timber products to India worth US$362.8mil, a robust 17.1% jump compared with the previous year..." This raises the question that If this company is to continue to be a "going concern", it is necessary to continue to increase is timber felling operations, and even at a rate of increase of 10% per year, can our diminishing forests withstand the onslaught? We are not talking of only this company alone that is destroying forever our pristine jungles, but also the 'needs' of our Palm Oil industries and farms. I do not believe even for a second, that sustainable forest management scheme works. Can anyone believe that it is possible to replace a 100-year old tree that can be chainsawed and felled in a matter of minutes?
  
• More worrisome is this statement; quote: " India’s ban on most domestic logging plus the rising prosperity of the middle-class Indians continue to fuel demand for timber and wood-based products, making it the second largest importer of tropical logs in the world after China..." My question is, If India sees fit to ban most of its domestic logging to protect its forests, and get Malaysia to exploit its own for the sake if its (Indian) middle class, are we not stupid to do that? Does Malaysia want to see its beloved country being reduced to 'wasteland' in 20 years' time, in return for short term profits of a few companies and State Governments? And China is even a more voracious consumer of our timber, while preserving its own by designating them as Heritage sites.

The Government seeks to push Malaysia into a 'high income' country by promulgating various policies in its annual budgets. If we look at most developed countries having 'high incomes' and good quality of life, those countries have balanced development, and they take care of their natural assets, and guard it from greedy businessmen and parochial politicians. Do we have the political mettle to do it?