PETALING JAYA: While logging is a major environmental concern in Malaysia, monoculture plantations, particularly those involving exotic species, pose an even greater threat. These plantations contribute to biodiversity loss and ecological degradation.
Contrary to public perception, RimbaWatch director Adam Farhan said the biggest misconception is that illegal logging is the primary cause of deforestation.
“In reality, the main driver is the conversion of forest reserves into monoculture plantations.
“These plantations, often consisting of rubber, acacia and oil palm, drastically reduce biodiversity and permanently alter ecosystems,” he told theSun recently.
A monoculture plantation is a large-scale agricultural system that involves cultivating a single crop or tree species over a vast area. Widely practised in commercial farming and forestry, this method aims to enhance productivity and operational efficiency.
Despite government commitments to maintaining 50% forest cover, he said deforestation remains rampant due to policies allowing large-scale conversions of natural forests. Sarawak, Sabah, Kelantan and Pahang are among the most severely affected states.
Citing data from the organisation’s State of the Malaysian Rainforest 2024 report, Adam said 2.47 million hectares of forest reserves
are at risk of being cleared for monoculture plantations under government programmes, including the Licence for Planted Forests
in Sarawak and the Forest Plantation Development Programme in Peninsular Malaysia.
“To put this into perspective, 2.47 million hectares is larger than the entire state of Johor and represents 7.5% of Malaysia’s total land area.”
His comments were made in conjunction with the annual celebration of World Forestry Day today, a global event aimed at promoting awareness of the essential role forests play in environmental sustainability.
Adam also claimed that Malaysia’s National Forestry Act 1984 is designed to regulate the timber industry rather than serve as a conservation or forest protection policy.
“We have no law or national policy that outright limits deforestation. Even if 100% of our forest reserves were converted to monoculture plantations, Malaysia would still technically meet its 50% forest cover commitment because these plantations are classified as ‘forest’
on paper.
“This is a deeply troubling loophole,”he added.
He also highlighted another major cause of deforestation – the forest reserve degazettement, in which legally protected forests are reclassified for development.
“In 2023 alone, Malaysia degazetted over 11,000ha of forest reserves, further reducing critical green cover.
“A single hectare of Malaysian rainforest may contain more than 200 tree species, but when converted to a plantation, it holds just one. We’ve already seen species like the Sumatran rhinoceros go extinct in the wild,” he said.
Beyond environmental damage, Adam warned that deforestation disrupts the livelihoods of indigenous communities.
For these people, deforestation results in the loss of clean water, food sources and non-timber forest products, while also violating their land rights under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
“There have been reports of indigenous graves and sacred sites being destroyed due to logging. Many plants essential for religious ceremonies have also disappeared, infringing on their right to practise their religion,” he added.
Adam stressed that indigenous communities are the most effective forest guardians.
“Satellite imagery shows that in areas where indigenous communities have full control over their land, deforestation rates are exceptionally low.
“Globally, indigenous peoples protect over 80% of the world’s biodiversity, and Malaysia is no exception,” he said.
He urged the government to take decisive action against deforestation, beginning with the shutdown of all monoculture plantation programmes in forest reserves.
Additionally, he called for amendments to the Environmental Quality Act 1974 to prevent future deforestation projects and stronger laws to stop the degazettement of forest reserves.
“Without strong legal protections, Malaysia’s forests will continue to shrink under the guise of ‘sustainable’ development,” he warned.
