Kuala Lumpur: The Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) took a proactive step by conducting a visit to the District Forest Office here to gather information on the conservation and management of Permanent Forest Reserves (HSK) by the Peninsular Malaysia Forestry Department (JPSM). EAIC secretary and chief executive officer Asliza Ali stated that the visit aimed to strengthen enforcement efforts and governance in the country's forestry sector, as part of an initiative by the Focus Group (FG) led by the commission.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the visit followed a report on the findings of the Bertelsman Stiftung Transformation Index (BTI) 2024, which highlighted issues such as deforestation, weak environmental enforcement, and the imbalance between economic development and environmental sustainability. Among the issues identified by BTI are weaknesses in the enforcement of forestry laws, illegal logging, logging license procedures, and forestry management, which have resulted in soil erosion and flash floods.
The visit aimed to gather inputs from the JPSM regarding the conservation and maintenance of HSK after forest product harvesting licenses have expired. Officials were also briefed on the use of satellite technology in detecting changes in the country's forests and its role in addressing forest issues.
A total of 32 cases of illegal logging were recorded in Peninsular Malaysia involving an area of 100 hectares, with 368 arrests made last year. The visit also provided an opportunity for the EAIC Corruption Perception Index (CPI) Special Task Force to observe HSK areas that have been maintained and replanted, offering insights into current challenges facing enforcement agencies and the effectiveness of existing measures.
Asliza noted that previously, their corruption index only considered reports on the website, without direct engagement. The current initiative is aimed at improving transparency and addressing issues at the source, with a long-term objective of enhancing Malaysia's performance in the global CPI ranking, targeting 25th place and above by 2033.