FERN: VPA Malaysia Update

It is a 2 months old post of update the current VPA status in Malaysia:

 

One of the big blockage of the VPA EU-Malaysia signing is directly related to the in-openness of Sarawak government to the current state status, especially related to native customary rights of land use and forest area. Adding to it, Sarawak government feels land area pertaining native customary right issues and selection of contractors are not suppose to be part of the VPA requirement because it is not a certification or legality element. Hence, when the public or international body relates the both issues, together with the history of the poorly managed Penan issues, automatically the timbers from the state itself became controversial. And they directly link to the part where in Sarawak recorded significant volume of timbers are being exported every year. 

If at the starting point we are still discussing about human rights, it will be a long way before we canlook at something that can better improve the livelihood and forest for the future.

~What lies in our power to do, lies in our power not to do, Aristotle~