Forests vital for future

It is quite obvious that after reading the letter Forests vital for future and the response by the State Government be reasonable with demands to gazette forests, says Zambry that politicians do not see the real danger of continuing to allow timber logging in areas that are close to our forest reserves, which also act as our water catchment areas feeding life saving water to our people.

We should be asking ourselves if it's possible and practicable to enforce and monitor the logging companies, to ensure they will not encroach onto the reserves when they have finished logging their approved areas. Do we then ask the logging companies to shut down their businesses?

It is better for the country and the environment in the long run, if the politicians make a strong stand against the irreversible destruction to our forests and catchment areas, by insisting that the logging companies stick to the areas they have been given, and gazette the rest of the Main Range as reserves so that nobody in the future can destroy it.

Such a tough policy will also force the logging companies to embark immediately on a 'sustainable' forest regeneration program, to protect their businesses, and get them to implement 'best practices' for sustainable development of the timber industry.

At the present moment, can we truthfully say that Malaysia complies with international guidelines for producing 'sustainable' timber? Sabah, maybe, but not for the rest of our country

Think about it