Malaysia Forest Certification
Implementation of Forest Management Certification by the Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia is voluntary and enables companies to disclose their commitment to the importance of maintaining the forest resources of the country, particularly in areas of the Permanent Reserved Forest (PRF) under the Sustainable Forest Management Practices (SFM).
At present, there are two (2) organizations that certify forest certification at the international level which are the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
PEFC Certification in Malaysia
In Peninsular Malaysia, the Forest Management Certification is based on PEFC that is carried out by the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS) using standard Malaysian Criteria and Indicators for Forest Management Certification (Natural Forest) [MC&I (Natural Forest)]. The assessment carried out for the purpose of Forest Management Certification is basically done by independent assessors who will carry out an assessment on every activity of forest management in the Forest Management Unit (FMU).
This independent assessment acts as a measure to avoid biasness and a tool to communicate the local stakeholders about the steps taken by the Government through the Department of Forestry to achieve SFM.
About Malaysian Forestry Standard
The initiative to implement the forest management certification in Peninsular Malaysia began in 1994 under the ITTO Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management, published in 1992. This standard has been tested in the state of Pahang, Selangor and Terengganu through a pilot project in collaboration of Malaysia – Netherlands. Then, in 2001 Malaysian Criteria, Indicators, Activities and Standards of Performance (MC&I) documents has been published for Forest Management Certification in Peninsular Malaysia. This standard is better known as containing Criteria, Indicators, Activities and Standards of Performance.
Source: https://www.forestry.gov.my
Challenges & Solutions
Malaysia’s deforestation rate is accelerating faster than that of any other tropical country in the world, according to data from the United Nations. Primary forests—forests with no visible signs of past or present human activities—are considered the most biologically diverse ecosystems on the planet. Declining forest cover in Malaysia results primarily from urbanization, agricultural fires, and forest conversion for oil-palm plantations and other forms of agriculture.
