Source : Daily Express, Sabah, 23 Feb '05
By : Daily Express
  

He said this in view of the potential in the development of agro-based products despite Malaysia seeking to become an industrialised nation by 2020.

In a speech read by Deputy Chief Minister-cum-Rural Development Minister Datuk Joseph Pairin Kitingan, he said it is one reason why the Malaysian Government is keen to develop its agriculture sector and for that matter its forestry sector, too.

"With the impending globalisation and the numerous challenges that come with it, Malaysia must change its approach towards agricultural developments," he said.

He said BBEC's success in conservation efforts has been proven and would be even more successful if other sectors were involved in making conservation of the ecosystem and biodiversity a real cohesive effort.

"In this regard, I call upon the private sector to engage in activities connected to the BBEC," he said.

Musa, who is also Finance Minister, said gone are the days when large quantities of timber produced had translated to more revenue from foreign exchange.

Hence, the country should now think of how to produce quality timber products to be competitive in the global market. "Better still, to be innovative in the use of non-timber forest products that has value added."

He said one way of finding out means and ways of using Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) is through traditional knowledge passed on by the ancestors who have been using NTFP throughout their lives in a manner unique to their culture.

"Since our ancestral time, it has been our nature to conserve. In fact, it has been accepted that conservation of biodiversity is crucial for sustainable socio-economic development.

"It is, therefore, my hope that we adopt initiatives in line with such a line of thinking," he said.

In this respect, Musa said the State and Federal Governments would continue to accord high priority on the conservation of the natural environment.

Citing the Deramakot Forest Reserve, he said it is the first forest reserve to be certified as practising Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) through the creation of Forest Management Units (FMUs).

"Today, several FMUs are already working hand in hand with other sectors to come up with a more effective means of sustainable forest management.

"We believe we are on the right track in conserving and sustainable use of our natural resources and rich biodiversity," he said.

Musa said Sabah is endowed with biodiversity-rich forests and historically much of its economy is based on this biodiversity.

"However, the timber from the forest is an exhaustible resource and hence our economy must diversity itself through non-timber forest products," he said.

In relation to this, he said tourism has been earmarked as one of the economic drivers in the state's development since it is a non-consumptive industry and thus, in line with conservation effort.

Such a direction, Musa said is very much in line with the State Government's vision in ensuring its economy remains sustainable through environmentally friendly activities.

Where BBEC is concerned, he said the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has been farsighted and willing to give the government a hand in its conservation programmes. He said many sectors such as the Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) has been co-operating with several state agencies to see that management plans and its implementations are based on sound research findings.

Sabah Parks and Sabah Wildlife Department, he said are also concerned with conservation of parks and wildlife.

He said the two government bodies attempt to get public involvement in their effort to make the people understand the importance and fragile nature of their unique ecosystems and hence be custodian of the resources.

Musa noted with interest that more policy makers including journalists are increasingly becoming more concerned with conservation issues.

In this respect, he said the State Government would continue to support the BBEC and ensure that it remains sustainable even after the period of its programmes is completed.