Putrajaya - Malaysia does not condone any timber smuggling from Indonesia, Commodities and Plantation Industries Minister Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui said.
He said this in response to a recent Antara News Agency report which quoted Indonesia`s Forestry Minister M.S. Kaban as saying that Malaysia was behind the smuggling of timber from Indonesia.
"The Malaysian government wishes to make it clear that in supporting the trade in timber products, it does not condone any illegal activities," he said at a media conference here.
Chin also confirmed that Malaysia had until now not received any formal protest note on the issue from Indonesia`s Forest Ministry.
Kaban was reported to have said that he had given a protest note to Indonesia`s Foreign Ministry to be forwarded to the Malaysian authorities.
Chin said that cross-border trade between Malaysia and Indonesia was being regulated through bilateral agreements, the Border Crossing Agreement and the Border Trade Agreement of 1967.
"Timber products from Indonesia are allowed to be brought into Malaysia only after the prescribed documents are produced for review," he said.
In the case of Sarawak, Chin said there are approved documents and procedures that have been agreed upon by parties in the cross-border Social, Security, Economic and Cultural Cooperation Committee or SOSEK Malindo, which stated that legally-harvested Indonesia timber could be allowed into Malaysia only via authorised points of entry.
"It is our view that traditional trade should be allowed to improve the standard of living of local communities at our common border areas," he said.
Chin said the Malaysian government had strictly imposed several measures on timber, including ban on imports of Indonesia round logs on June 25, 2002, and ban on the import of squared logs (sawn timber measuring more than 60 square inches) on June 1, 2003.
He said Malaysia believed that regulated trade offered a chance for a win-win solution in combating illegal activities.
Both countries have embarked on negotiations with the European Union (EU) on the voluntary partnership agreements under the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade.
"With the appropriate technical and financial assistance extended by the EU and member states, we foresee the implementation of measures to strengthen existing mechanisms to overcome the problem of trade in illegal timber," he said.
Chin also said that Malaysia was seeking Indonesia`s cooperation to have a dialogue on how to resolve common problems with regard to trade in timber and to find practical solutions that will regularise the timber trade and ensure greater transparency.
Source: www.bernama.com.my (11 April 2008)