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New timber licences frozen

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KUCHING: The State government will continue to stop the issuance of new timber licences.

Chief Minister, Datuk Patinggi (Dr) Abang Johari Tun Openg said that vast tracts of the forest have already been logged and they have been very difficult to restore.

“Worse still is the stripping of the forests of all their vegetation by plywood factories operating deep in the forests, ostensibly to clear the land for the planting of oil palms.

“Therefore, there will be no more new palm oil plantation licences except for NCR land,” he said in his winding up speech during the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting here yesterday.

He added that the State government will continue to fight illegal logging.

“Not only are they stealing timber in areas which are not licensed to them, but are also intruding into forest reserve areas.

“If unchecked, we may have no more forest reserves of any kind, fully protected or otherwise. We must protect our protected forests if we want to retain any of our indigenous virgin jungle,” he stressed.

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