Malaysia Is Strengthening Its Position With Certified Timber

The following article was published in the 19 February 2005 issue of Timber Trades Journal. Written by Ms. Keren Fallwell, its Chief Sub Editor the article details the many challenges in Malaysia I s efforts to attain recognition of its SFM practices as well as provides an account. of measures taken to tackle issues on trade of illegal timbers related to neighbouring Indonesia.

Summary:

The MTCC has reviewed its scheme based on the FSC's principles and criteria.
There are nine forest management units certified under the MTCC.
The MTCC plans to appoint an assessor in the UK for chain-of-custody accreditation.
Malaysia and Indonesia have renewed their commitment to tackle smuggling, including timber smuggling.

In 2001, 100 years after the Malaysian forestry department was established, the Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC) came into operation. Today, eight forest management units in Peninsular Malaysia and one in Sarawak - the first to be managed by a private company - are certified under the Malaysian scheme.

And now, the criteria and indicators, originally based on the International Tropical Timber Organization's (lTTO) demands, have been updated to create a new standard using the Forest Stewardship Council's (FSC) principles and criteria. The chain-of-custody requirements have also been reviewed.

One of the main motivating factors for this change, said MTCC Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Chew Lye Teng, was support for the FSC in Malaysia's high value markets of the UK, the Netherlands and the rest of Europe.

"We want to supply these markets so we have to meet the needs of the buyer:' said Mr Chew. ':Already the feedback from these markets is good; they are encouraging us to make this transition."

The MTCC is also a member of the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes (PEFC) and is working towards submitting its scheme for inclusion in the PEFC framework of mutual recognition. It is also in an Association of South East Asia Nations project to develop a pan-ASEAN (sic) scheme, which will take into account the minimum requirements of consuming countries.

It is hoped that the new standard will also lead to recognition by the UK government's Central Point of Expertise in Timber (CEPT) that MTCC-certified timber is both legal and sustainable. CPET's initial classification of the MTCC scheme as proof of legal, but not sustainable timber - due mainly to the perception that there was insufficient involvement by all stakeholders - was a blow for the organisation.

"We were disappointed at CPET's assessment," said Mr. Chew. "We feel that we have done a lot to have all stakeholders involved. We've even given financial support to NGOs to take part in the process."

MTC Director in London, Mr. S.K.Tham points out that stakeholders must be willing to take part and, even if they did not attend meetings, they were kept informed of developments.