Timber politics and corruption, not NGOs, are causing disharmony at the community level in Sarawak, says the Bruno Manser Fonds

(Basel, Switzerland) Swiss NGO, the Bruno Manser Fonds, refutes allegations by the government of Sarawak, a state in Malaysian Borneo, that NGOs are causing disharmony at the community level. 

"For over 30 years, the Bruno Manser Fonds has assisted communities in Baram, compensating for government neglect", Bruno Manser Fonds director Lukas Straumann says. "We have always been welcomed in the communities we've worked with and are proud of the communities' achievements." 

"However, we are concerned that Baram natives are under increasing pressure to give up their forest resources to outsiders", says Straumann. "Last year, the state government deliberately withheld information on the expiry of a major timber concession after 30 years. Subsequently, a 170,000-hectare concession was secretly granted to politically linked Borneoland Timber Resources Sdn Bhd without public tender."

"This smells of corruption and should be investigated by Malaysia's Anti-Corruption Commission. Why is Sarawak Premier Abang Johari continuing these Taib-style timber politics and who is benefiting from them?"

"Why is there no decent road in Baram after 30 years of logging when millions were made from community forests?" Straumann asks. 

"Sarawak's timber politics have spectacularly failed in bringing benefit to the region and should be replaced by a community-centered approach. This includes the right of the communities to work with whoever they wish to associate with."

Last week, the Sarawak state government called Baram community representatives for a meeting and pressured them to 'agree' to a government motion, according to which communities need to seek government permission if they wanted to collaborate with NGOs.