|
 19 February 2004
Dr Lim: No powers to check illegal logs at free trade zones
By CHONG JIN HUN
The Primary Industries Ministry said its enforcement agencies do not have
jurisdiction to check on illegal logs stored at free trade zones (FTZs) and so
it cannot act against the smuggling of ramin wood from Indonesia.
Primary Industries Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik said Malaysia has tried
its best to stop Indonesian ramin logs from reaching the country but there are
parties that flout the law.
 Dr Lim said Malaysia
has no jurisdiction over the activities in the FTZs and cannot be accused of
condoning the illegal timber trade.
A US environment group, the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), had
accused Malaysian officials of failing to check ships carrying logs from
Indonesia.
“We do not have the right to do these checks, the current laws do not permit
us to do so,” he said during a dialogue with EIA representatives in Kuala Lumpur
yesterday.
Dr Lim said the EIA should not make sweeping statements that Malaysian officials
are corrupt and are involved in the illegal trade of the timber.
Malaysia has maintained that publicity on the illegal ramin trade will
jeopardise its rubberwood exports.
The Malaysian Timber Council said it is concerned that Customs officials in
exporting and importing countries may have difficulties telling the difference
between the two species and may confuse rubber-wood furniture with ramin.
Dr Lim said banning the trade of Malaysian ramin wood for a year, which was
suggested by EIA president Allan Thornton at the more-than-two hours meeting,
was impractical and economically not viable.
“It will not be fair to the people whose livelihoods depend on it,” he said.
The EIA and Indonesian environmental group Telapak had jointly published a
report accusing Malaysia of laundering illegally traded Indonesian ramin.
The EIA was also partly involved in the making of a British Broadcasting Corp
documentary on ramin smuggling activities that portrays Malaysians as parties to
the illegal act.
| 
MTC’s
