Say No To Political Fund-Raising From Logging
March 2, 2010 by admin
Filed under News Bites
Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M) recently urged the Malaysian government to reduce the strong links between state financing and forest management, according to Malaysiakini. TI-M president, Paul Low, was reported to have said this at a Forest Governance Integrity (FGI) workshop on 25 Feb 2010.
Low was reported to have said that this move would ensure that forest management is conducted in a sustainable and acceptable manner. According to Low, it is likely that abuses will occur and the forest exploited if political parties rely on timber resources for funding. At the workshop, Low reminded that corruption is “not just about bribery but the abuse of power entrusted by the people for financial and personal gain”, according to the news portal.
In response to politicians having stakes in logging businesses, Low was quoted as saying:
They have to make a choice of either being in the business of exploiting timber or in Parliament looking after the interest of the people.
He added that timber concessions should be open to public tender, with strict terms to be observed in the selection of companies.
When asked what was the biggest criticism regarding our forest management, Low was quoted as having said:
We do hear of abuses in East Malaysia of illegal logging and the exploitation of Orang Asli.
Low also expressed disappointment in the lack of citizens’ participation in forestry lawmaking, urging civil societies to be more proactive and be at the forefront of tackling graft.
