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KUCHING, March 26 — The state government has allocated RM62 million under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) for forest restoration efforts in Sarawak, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg said today.
He said the restoration programme, which started in 2019, has been well received by both stakeholders and the public.
“The state government, through the state Forest Department, has also reminded all logging licence holders to implement the enrichment planting programme in their licensed areas,” the chief minister said during state-level International Forest Day celebrations here.
He said the state government aims to plant 35 million trees throughout the state over the next five years, beginning 2020.
“This means that we need to plant seven million trees every year during that period,” he said.
He said he is confident that the target can be reached because, in 2020, a total of 10,452,607 trees were planted.
Abang Johari said since the beginning of this year, about 3.15 million trees have been planted, placing Sarawak on top of the list of states in Malaysia involved in forest restoration.
He added the state Forest Department has developed nursery sites at the Sabal Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) Centre in Simunjan, Sarawak Tree Improvement Centre in Sibu and Nursery Centres in Lundu and Kuching.