Over 4.75 million trees planted in Sabah in reforestation work

KOTA KINABALU: Over 4.75 million trees were planted in Sabah, which accounted for about 60% of the target set by the state for 2023.

This achievement was among those summarised in the Sabah Forestry Department’s (SFD) 269-page annual report, which also outlined its efforts towards achieving sustainable forest management (SFM) in the state.

The book, which doubles up as the department’s report card, was presented to Sabah Finance Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun, with the book showcasing the activities and achievements of the department throughout 2023.

In his foreword, Chief Conservator of Forests Datuk Frederick Kugan noted that the department had moved on to greater heights in the implementation of SFM for the betterment of the people of Sabah.

SFD is dedicated and currently executing a tree planting initiative aimed at reaching the goal of planting 40 million trees in Sabah between 2021 and 2025, which is also in line with the state government’s commitment to be part of the federal government’s goal of planting 100 million trees throughout Malaysia over a period of five years.

As of June last year, SFD has planted over 12 million trees across Sabah under the campaign, which does not stipulate any condition for the tree species to be planted, as long as they are planted on suitable soil.

Kugan further added that to effectively and efficiently manage the forests, the department has organised various workshops, among others, to revise the Forest (Timber) Enactment 2015, the Forest Enactment 1968, and the Sabah Timber Legality Assurance System, and to develop Sabah’s Mangrove Action Plan as well as improve the management of the peatland ecosystem.

Kugan added that among their memorable achievements was being listed in the Malaysia Book of Records for having the most number of nations (44 countries) in a tree planting event.

“We carried out many tree-planting activities in collaboration with schools and various agencies throughout Sabah in support of the Greening Malaysia-100 million tree planting campaign, including the tree planting programme with Miss Tourism International,” he said.

Kugan said the department held and participated in numerous international, national and state events to share their success story about SFM and biodiversity conservation in Sabah.

Last year, the Anti-Corruption Plan and Online Timber Royalty Assessment System were launched, and as a result, SFD met their target, collecting RM155mil in forest revenue.

However, Kugan said that despite the many achievements, SFD also faces issues and challenges in implementing SFM, such as staffing and funding limitations.

“Therefore, SFD needs to be proactive in working smart and innovative as a team in achieving the goals,” he said.

SFD’s Annual Report 2023 can be downloaded from forest.sabah.gov.my/images/pdf/publication/annualreport/ar2023.pdf