BY TUKIRAN KITAM

Muar, 27 Sept. – Muar District Customs has detained 24 incoming boats loaded with hundreds of tonnes of logs from Indonesia at the department’s jetty at Sungai Muar since Monday.

A source from the Customs Department said that log traders from the neighbouring country had thronged the jetty to sell the raw material to an importing company that claimed to have acquired special permission.

It is understood that the Ministry of Primary Industries has banned the importation of logs from Indonesia since July (sic) except for semi-finished wood material. This move was to safeguard the local wood industry.

According to the source, since Monday, the Custom’s jetty has been the destination for the Indonesian log-carrying boats ordered by a local-based company.

However, the Muar Branch Customs Authority has prevented the entry of the log shipments, as Indonesian log has been a banned item since July.

As a result of the seizure, most of the log-ladden boats had to temporarily dock at Muar River while waiting for a decision from the Customs Authorities on an appeal for exemption from the ban order, or otherwise.

Meanwhile, the Head of Muar Branch Customs, Md Basri Bahron could not be reached for clarifications on the matter and whether the raw material could be allowed entry or not.

Observations made at the jetty today showed that all of the log-ladden boats believed to have arrived from Sumatera, are still anchored at Muar River pending a decision by the Malaysian authorities.