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 Minister's reply to Penan appeal letter took 11 months in "high-tech" MalaysiaBy Rengah Sarawak Rengah 2006-06-06 | The Malaysian Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, the minister responsible for Malaysian timber industry, among other natural resources, replied to the Upper Baram Penan's appeal letter dated 15th April against the Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC) certifying timber taken from a disputed land as sustainable, on 31st May 2005. However, the reply only reached the Penan community in April 2006. A high-ranking MTCC delegation brought over the letter during a visit to the Penan areas in the Sela'an Linau around 19/20 April 2006. The delegation was led by Mr. Yong Teng Koon, the MTCC executive responsible for forest management. Apart from him, it consisted of Mr. Ismail Ibrahim (MTCC), Mr. Ding Seling (MTCC), Mr. Jayl Langub (Lecturer at UNIMAS, Kuching and part of the MTCC), and Mr. Dennis Long. A well-known Sarawak-based NGO person was also in the delegation. Such must be a record of some sort, but then again, for a country which governments are not accustomed to even acknowledging letters of protest, perhaps the Minister must feel that the people should be thankful for the reply, however long it took the reply to reach the community. Well, it truly lives up to the "snail mail" saying indeed. However, that aside, the Minister's reply confirm more than clarifying the issues raised by the Penan. Firstly, the Minister just echoed what was told to him by not any independent body/ies per say, but by the pro-logging camp. That is what they all are, collectively, belonging to the logging camp. How can listening to one side, the side which is pushing for logging, however much they try to green-wash it with sustainability or certified terms, be considered "independent"? Who are the Minister and the whole logging industry which the Minister and the Governments as a whole is more protective of, trying to deceive by clinging to the totally discredit claims of independence that the MTCC process is supposed to be? Is a bias certification scheme independent when the governments and industry literally run it like a private club? Oh ya, we are supposed to take note of the so-called "independent" and "private" company - in this case SIRIM - and the so-called "independent" consultants hired to do the work as justification of the "independent" process. Well, for the ignorant and the loggers, they sure are. How else to convince the public and conscious buyers that SIRIM was a government company which had been corporatized and controlled by the federal government and how the so-called independent consultants are paid with money from the logging company? Furthermore, why go through such a tedious process when the results are foregone conclusion - in this case, logging destruction is certified? As to the consultants, who had supposedly consulted some while awaiting to "consult' others - where else can such process of approving the certification first before consultation take place except in Boleh (can) land Malaysia - what is your definition of consultation? Does turning up at communities, without prior information being provided etc, and insisting on meeting to discuss certification constitute consultation? Would a company representative turning up at your home unannounced with bulldozers ready to flatten your house and began informing you about the imminent destruction of your land and the extinguishment of your rights be considered as consultation? Last but not least, the six-month "surveillance" report (supposed to be carried out every six month after the certification of the FMU) which was said to had been carried out by the 'independent' assessor in October 2005 is yet to be made public. Of course how "independent" the assessor is and who is the person remains a secret. A check on the MTCC website on 6th June 2006 has nothing on it. So much for the promise as contained in the Minister's letter. Oh well, the reply from the Minister speaks more about the kind of government than what that same government is trying to convince the people of its "impartiality". As for the MTCC or the certification scheme in Malaysia, international buyers will be fools to not insist on the transparency and accountability issues. Malaysia indeed "Boleh". Attached are the original Penan letter and the Minister's reply for all to see. Attached files
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