KUCHING: The Sarawak Forest Department is seeking to terminate the Upper Baram Forest Area (UBFA) project due to ongoing challenges and disruptions in its implementation.
State forests director Datuk Hamden Mohammad said this decision was made during the project steering committee meeting on Thursday (Oct 10).
He said the UBFA project, funded by the City of Basel, Bruno Manser Fonds (BMF) and the Japanese government through the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO), had encountered interference from local and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), including BMF and Save Rivers.
"These interventions have led to distrust and the spread of misleading information among local communities," he said in a statement on Thursday (Oct 10).
Hamden said the department had faced numerous disruptions since the project's inception in September last year, hindering its progress.
He said these included letters sent to high-level officials, overseas demonstrations, and damaging articles containing unsubstantiated allegations against Sarawak and ITTO without consulting project partners.
Hamden also said the changing and differing aspirations of some project stakeholders, particularly NGOs, had led to insurmountable challenges.
As such, he said the Sarawak government, through the Forest Department, regretfully requested the termination of the UBFA project as its continued approval and funding no longer served its objectives.
"This decision was made after careful consideration and in alignment with Sarawak's strategic objectives under the post-Covid development strategy (PCDS) 2030.
"The Sarawak government remains committed to supporting the people of Upper Baram and plans to pursue the project with different funding sources," he added.
According to ITTO's website, the UBFA covers 283,500 hectares in northeastern Sarawak, encompassing primary forests, farm areas, settlements, timber concessions and agricultural land.
Four ethnic groups live in the area: the Penan, Kenyah, Kelabit and Saban, who rely heavily on the forests for their subsistence.