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1.3 Mln ha tpas target by 2020

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CHIEF Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg (fourth left) recieves a souvenir from JCI President Dawn A. Hetzel (third left) during the Dinner Sarawak Culture Unity Night held in conjunction with International Summit of Peace at BCCK, in Kuching on Wednesday as Chief Minister’s wife Datin Amar Dato Hajjah Juma’ani Tun Tuanku Haji Bujang (fifth left) and other distinguished guests look on. PHOTO: AHMAD ISKANDAR
CHIEF Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg (fourth left) recieves a souvenir from JCI President Dawn A. Hetzel (third left) during the Dinner Sarawak Culture Unity Night held in conjunction with International Summit of Peace at BCCK, in Kuching on Wednesday as Chief Minister’s wife Datin Amar Dato Hajjah Juma’ani Tun Tuanku Haji Bujang (fifth left) and other distinguished guests look on. PHOTO: AHMAD ISKANDAR

KUCHING: At least 1.3 million hectares of land are aimed to be gazetted as Totally Protected Areas (TPAs) by the year 2020.

This is about ten per cent of the total state’s land size of12.445 million hectares, said Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg in his speech on Wednesday night during the Welcoming Dinner of the delegates of the International Summit on Peace held at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK).

He pointed out this is among the steps to protect the state’s forest.

“In an effort to protect our forest, we have gazetted a total of 860,000 hectares of our forest as Totally Protected Areas (TPAs) which consist of national parks, nature reserves and wildlife sanctuaries.

Meanwhile, he pointed out that social harmony and stability could be achieved by maintaining a good relationship between the environment and its human masters.

Hence, it is not confined to the relation between the state and its neighbours.

“Learning from countries like New Zealand, we believe that living in harmony with other living creatures side by side can contribute to an overall social harmony.

“Our pride lies within our flora and fauna. Because of this simple reason, we have to protect them at all cost as it could create economic and social uncertainties.

“Such thing may occur if unrestrained logging and the resulting destruction of forest and wildlife habitat will result in the depletion of our natural resources thus rendering the concept of sustainable development, unworkable.

 “As a result, without any resources the prospect of a bright economic future would seem deem,” said the Chief Minister.

  “Due to illegal logging, the state government has instituted this policy that there will be no more timber concession on the state land and only short-term timber extraction licences are given for clearing of merchantable timber in areas approved for development purposes.

“At the same time, the issuance of permit of setting up large-scale palm oil plantation on government land has also been stopped.”

  He then disclosed that more Research and Development (R&D) efforts had been undertaken to fully realise the potentials of the state bio-diversity.

To this, Johari has implemented a policy that enables researches to be conducted on the states flora and fauna with a iew to give a much greater value to the bio-diverse nature rather than simply extracting the raw materials for export.

 On the summit, Johari said that the campaign had ignited a movement from the younger generation across the globe who are working diligently in their communities to build bridges that foster peace.

“It is the global reach of the ‘Peace is Possible’ campaign that has brought all of you from over 100 countries to come to Kuching and nothing more significant could have brought you to Sarawak other than your personal and collective pursuit of peace in our societies.

“I hope this unison in Kuching to find sustainable solutions to these global challenges by exchanging ideas and sharing experiences will definitely bring change and minimise the spread of radicalism, nationalism and extremism all around the world,” said Johari.

Also present were Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani and other distinguished guests.

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