Jakarta - The Indonesian authorities have been asked to take stern action against those involved in timber trafficking from West Kalimantan to Sarawak. Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia Datuk Zainal Abidin Mohamed Zain said the Malaysian government would not condone such activities or sympatise with those involved. "We want Indonesia to come down hard on the two Malaysians as the authorities say they have concrete evidence on their involvement," he told Bernama here today.
He was commenting on local media reports on the two Malaysians suspected of being involved in timber smuggling activities. He said the embassy would give full cooperation to the Indonesian authorities in their investigation into the cases if they provide the evidence. Zainal Abidin said the mechanism for cooperation had been forged by the armed forces and police of both countries in dealing with timber smuggling.
He said it was easier for the Indonesian authorities to solve the problem at source as they knew the routes and waterways used by the smugglers. The Malaysian authorities could cooperate in tracking down the suspects if their identities were clear, he said and added that he believed they were acting in concert with Indonesian loggers. The local press today highlighted the crackdown on the smuggling of sawn timber from West Kalimantan to Sarawak which have caused huge losses in revenue to the republic.
Source: www.bernama.com (4 April 2008)