DUN (Day Three): State prosperous, thanks to timber industry

State prosperous, thanks to timber industry
Posted on June 24, 2011, Friday

SARAWAK has prospered well through the contribution of the forest industry. Datu Len Talif Salleh (BN-Belawai) said major corporations had contributed immensely to the state’s development to what it’s today.

“Having spent more than 32 years of my life as a civil servant dealing with the forest industry and as a teenager working in mangrove and peat swamp forests, sawmill, woodchip and plywood, I am proud to say that our forest has indeed contributed much to the growth of the state,” he said when debating the Head of State’s address yesterday. 

He said forest was a key contributor to the state’s socio-economic development and a major contributor to the state Gross Domestic Products (GDP). Len Talif acknowledged with pride that the first phase of capital accumulation derived from the timber industry had seen many successful private sector timber companies ploughing their investment to help in developing Sarawak.

“These companies have reinvested in tree and oil palm plantations, which again will contribute to the state’s economy, properties, infrastructure, education, social facilities and public amenities. They have played their role as partners of progress in facilitating the socio-economic growth and development of Sarawak,” he said. 

He added that as the industry matured and became more diversified, it would provide a large pool of trained and skilled local employees. He said timber companies were now capable of engaging local and foreign experts alike to help the state to be more competitive in the international market.

“The fact that Sarawak still has 84 per cent of its land mass under forest cover comprising primary, secondary (state land and NCR) and urban forest is a testimony to the success of this policy,” he added.