Muhtar: SFM has been built into the industry since the 1900s.
IN recent years, sustainability has been a key concern with primary industries such as timber. But what many may not know is that sustainable forest management practices (SFM) have been built into the industry’s foundation for nearly a century.
Under SFM, only specific trees with the right specifications are allowed to be harvested via the selective management system.
“Sustainability has been at the core of the timber industry since 1901, when the British introduced the SFM system in Malaya, which is still being practised today, ” said Malaysian Timber Council (MTC) chief executive officer (CEO) Muhtar Suhaili.
The new CEO of the Malaysian Timber Council envisions everyone chipping in to take the industry to new heights
Ask Muhtar Suhaili whether he has taken a break since being appointed CEO of the Malaysian Timber Council on Nov 1 and he laughs. Besides receiving visitors non-stop, he has read MTC’s annual reports from 2011, met with business partners and associates from government agencies, and sat down with fellow management members to map the direction for the Council.
A grasp of the details is crucial, no doubt, but, more importantly, this young man can see the forest for the trees.
Timber is a new field for Muhtar, 39, who has worked in the automotive, oil and gas, and palm oil sectors. “It’s a different industry but, as CEO, the way I manage things is still the same people, system, engagement.
Photos, videos and geospatial evidence gathered by the Orang Asli of Kampung Ong Jangking and Sungai Papan show the extent of environmental damage caused by logging. Photo by Johari Aluej.
GERIK: Unregulated logging activity is destroying the rivers in an area near the Orang Asli settlements of Kampung Ong Jangking and Sungai Papan, according to evidence gathered by local Orang Asli citizen journalists.
Checks with the Perak Forestry Department show that the logging company involved is licensed, and its work has received the necessary approvals.
However, photographs, videos and geospatial evidence gathered by the Orang Asli there suggest that logging companies are flouting regulations.