KTS Plantation awarded outstanding forest management

OTA KINABALU: KTS Plantation Sdn Bhd was awarded the Certificate of Compliance by the Sabah Forestry Department (SFD) for its outstanding performance in forest management, yesterday.

The company was among the 13 successful Sustainable Forest Management License Agreement (SFMLA) holders having fully complied with the critical criteria and passed the Malaysian Timber Legality Assurance System based on the outcome of the Sabah Independent Auditing of SFMLA project implemented by SFD, in collaboration with the European Union under the Forest Legality Enforcement Governance and Trade support programme.

Other recipients were Maxland Sdn Bhd, Lebihasil Sdn Bhd, Rakyat Berjaya Sdn Bhd (FMU 15), Rakyat Berjaya Sdn Bhd (FMU 16), Sapulut Forest Development Sdn Bhd, Sabah Forest Industries Sdn Bhd, Lembaga Urusan dan Tabung Haji, Timberwell Berhad, TSH Resources Berhad, Rakyat Berjaya Sdn Bhd (FMU 20, 21 and 22), Bornion Timber Sdn Bhd and KM Hybrid Plantation Sdn Bhd.

SFD director Datuk Sam Mannan said forest management was most vulnerable due to the long gestation period and political instability and could only be successful in an environment of  ‘Rule of Law’.

Giving Deramakot, the first natural tropical rainforest in South East Asia that has been certified under both the Forest Stewardship Counsil (FSC) and the Malaysian Criteria and Indicators Standards, as an example, he believes that it was now a success story with the participation of “like-minded friends” such as Sime Darby, WWF, LEAP and others, and their trust with the state’s system of governance.

He said the Deramakot adventure started in September 1989 through a collaborative project with the German Agency For Technical Cooperation (GTZ) which ended in 2000.

“It began with a high research component and rapidly developed into the objective of practising Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) in a logged-over forest, a first attempt in Sabah.

“The German experts with their strong culture of disciplined planning, close monitoring, attention to detail, methods and systematic application, cultivated new approaches as to how forests should be managed. The SFD team was able to attune their management culture to the requirements of this development,” he said.

After 22 years of intensive management, Deramakot today has gained international recognition.

Speaking during the launching of a 138-page coffee table book entitled ‘Forever Green: A Sustainable Future with Deramakot’, Sam believes documentation of the success story was vital, especially in forest management.

The book begins with facts about tropical rainforests, briefly discussing the forest and animals which includes the rare clouded leopard and an aerial view of the 55,319-hectare Deramakot Forest Reserve.

Sime Darby chairman Tun Musa Hitam launched the book. Also present was Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan.