KOTA KINABALU: The Chief Conservator of Forests, Datuk Frederick Kugan, presented the 269-page 2023 Annual Report of the Sabah Forestry Department (SFD) to Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun, the State’s Finance Minister, representing the Right Honourable Chief Minister of Sabah during the State’s Forestry Appreciation Ceremony in Kota Kinabalu on Friday.
This report can be accessed at the tip of your finger on your smartphone.
In just one click on the ‘Table of Contents page’, the user can go directly to the selected title.
The report showcases all project implementations, activities and achievements of the department throughout the year. It is the Key Performance Index (KPI) or the report card of the department.
Many activities were implemented with achievements accomplished in 2023.
The department has been invited in numerous international, national and state events to showcase the success of Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) and biodiversity conservation in Sabah.
At the international level, SFD was part of the Malaysian delegation for International Sustainable Palm Oil Forum in London and a session panel for ‘Protecting Our Nature and Biodiversity Treasures’ during COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. SFD also participated in the Asia Carbon Conference 2023 (ACC 2023) in Kuching, Sarawak, an event that provided important insights towards a low carbon industry and Net Zero Carbon Emissions 2050.
Other than that, the Sabah Forestry Department also took part in the 8th Southeast Asia Botanic Gardens (SEABG) Network Conference and Meeting 2023, with the theme “Conservation of Threatened Species in SE Asia’s Botanic Gardens”, in the Philippines.
The Sabah Forestry Department also made several work visits and study tours, i.e., the (i) 19th Project Steering Committee (PSC) Meeting of SFD and the International Society of Mangrove Ecosystems (ISME) Collaborative Project on Mangrove Rehabilitation in Sabah, to Japan and (ii) a 28-member group on a study tour to look at smallholder tree farming and agroforestry in Yogyakarta Province and Central Java Province.
Besides that, SFD also participated in the 14th Southeast Asian Biosphere Reserves Network (SEABRNET) Meeting in Kota Kinabalu and the Asia-Pacific Climate Week 2023 (APCW2023) in Johor, Malaysia.
As the forefront in biodiversity conservation, the department has successfully organized the 13th International Heart of Borneo (HoB) Conference at the Sabah International Convention Centre in Kota Kinabalu.
It was officiated by the Honourable Deputy Chief Minister I, with more than 700 participants. The Right Honourable Chief Minister of Sabah officiated the Majlis Apresiasi Perhutanan (MAPT) 2023, and this signifies the highest appreciation of the State Government to the department’s officers and staff for their excellent performance. Many tree-planting activities were carried out by the department 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.
The Sabah Forestry Department is now listed in The Malaysia Book of Records for having the most number of nations (44 countries) in a tree planting event.
The State level International Day of Forests was held at the Rainforest Discovery Centre, Sepilok, officiated by the Deputy Chief Minister II, with a tree planting ceremony as well. More than 4.75 million trees were planted in Sabah, which accounted for about 60% for 2023.
To effectively and efficiently manage the forests, the department has organized various workshops, among others, to revise the Forest (Timber) Enactment 2015, the Forest Enactment 1968 and Sabah
TLAS to meet the current scenario, to develop Sabah’s Mangrove Action Plan and to improve the management of peatland ecosystem.
The Anti-Corruption Plan and Online Timber Royalty Assessment System were launched in 2023. The forest revenue collected has achieved the target of RM155 million for 2023.
Many other events, official visits, conferences, scientific expeditions, workshops, seminars, dialogues and meetings that were held. Under R&D, the department has published a number of technical publications in 2023 that contributed towards SFM.
Among the outstanding awards received by the department in 2023 were the Best 5-star rating for Human Resource Information on Key Perfomance Indicator (SM2), Best Researcher Award for Science & Technology 2023 (MTSF-National level), the Chief Minister’s Book Award (Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka), Best Exhibition Booth (Malaysia Day Exhibition), and 3rd time Best Marching Champion (PROTECT Team) during TYT’s birthday.
Despite the many achievements, there are always issues and challenges in the implementation of SFM, such as limited staff and funding. Thus, SFD needs to be proactive in working smart and innovative as a team in achieving the goals.
With the unwavering support and team spirit, the Department can move forward and excel in SFM for the betterment and well–being of the people of Sabah.
The digital version of the Annual Report 2023 is available from the Sabah Forestry Department website:
https://forest.sabah.gov.my/images/pdf/publication/annualreport/ar2023.pdf
