KOTA KINABALU: Forest protection operations are among the 100-day Key Performance Indicators (KPI) set by newly appointed Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup to underscore the urgency of safeguarding the country’s biodiversity.
Arthur said the measure was necessary to combat illegal logging, poaching, and forest encroachment, warning that routine efforts risk the permanent loss of Malaysia’s iconic species, such as the orangutan, Bornean banteng, and pygmy elephant.
“Forest protection must deliver real impact to the people and to environmental sustainability. That is why I have made it a 100-day KPI as minister,” he said at a function to appoint community rangers on Saturday (Feb 7).
He also launched the multi-agency operation Ops Khazanah, aimed at combating wildlife crime, poaching, and smuggling—specifically targeting protected species—at a function in Nabawan in Sabah’s interior, about 170km from here.
Since Ops Khazanah began in 2019, he said, they have recorded significant achievements, including 84 operations, the arrest of 904 locals and 294 foreigners, the destruction of nearly 3,000 animal traps, and seizures totalling RM413.1mil.
Arthur said RM8.46mil had been allocated to appoint 225 community rangers in Sabah this year, as part of the RM80mil nationwide Biodiversity Protection and Patrol Programme.
To date, he said, 217 rangers have been deployed across 18 patrol posts in strategic areas, including Keningau, Lahad Datu, Kinabatangan, Sandakan, Tawau, Tenom, and Sipitang.
He also disclosed plans for additional appointments in Pagalungan and Pensiangan, as well as efforts to build permanent control posts to strengthen enforcement infrastructure in Nabawan.
He said Malaysia’s biodiversity protection efforts have earned international recognition, having won the Asia Environmental Enforcement Awards (AEEA) from the United Nations in 2021 and 2023.
Malaysia is among 17 countries recognised globally as megadiverse, rich in natural resources and biodiversity.
With more than 15,000 plant species recorded nationwide, Sabah and Sarawak alone account for over 12,000 species—representing more than 80% of Malaysia’s flora, he said.
“Sabah also holds a world record with the tallest tropical tree, Shorea faguetiana, standing at 100.7 metres in the Danum Valley Conservation Area,” he said.
“Mangrove forests cover 73% of Sabah’s 1,800-kilometre coastline, the highest proportion in Malaysia,” he said, adding that international recognition has been given to wetlands in Kinabatangan-Segama and Kota Kinabalu, alongside biosphere reserves in the Crocker Range and Kinabatangan, which boast rich wildlife diversity.
“Given this wealth of biodiversity, protecting Sabah’s treasures cannot be left to the government alone—it is a shared responsibility of all Sabahans.
“Collective action is needed to combat illegal logging, poaching, and unauthorised forest entry. Without vigilance, ecosystems risk collapse, and future generations may lose their connection to the forests and wildlife that define Sabah’s identity,” he added.
Meanwhile, Arthur urged newly appointed wildlife rangers to give their full commitment as frontline defenders of the nation’s forests and wildlife.
