Forest Policy In Malaysia Essay Research Paper free essay sample

Forest Policy In Malaysia Essay, Research Paper Malaysia is among the states in Southeast Asia which has experienced singular economic growing and industrialisation in the past decennary. It is alone in that its success is non a consequence of following any one theoretical account for development. Rather, Malaysia? s authorities identified its ends and sought to make a country-specific theoretical account of development suited to their demands for growing. An illustration of this is the Malayan authorities? s addition in exports of manufactured goods instead than concentrating on natural resource trade goods as suggested by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. ( pg.6, HBS ) Unlike its neighbour Singapore, Malaysia is blessed with an copiousness of natural resources. Although its exports of natural resource trade goods have declined in recent old ages in favour of manufactured goods ( pg. 6, HBS ) , Malaysia? s natural resource industry remains an of import portion of the state? s economic and political docket. Malaysia? s Forest Products Industry It is hard to disregard the fact that 60 % of Malaysia is covered with natural wood and that timber generates more foreign exchange than any other natural resource in Malaysia. The Malayan authorities recognized the economic potency of the forest merchandise industry early in the decennary and proceeded to play a cardinal function in farther developing and advancing this peculiar sector of its economic system through a grants system and the encouragement of downstream industries. The Concession System granted logging rights to private parties in exchange for royalties paid to the Malayan authorities ( pg. 11, HBS ) . Allowing logging grants to private parties besides allowed Malaysia? s authorities to bring forth involvement in the wood merchandises industry while keeping a grade of control over the countries and peculiar usage the lumber could be logged for. This system did non turn out to be really effectual in the custodies of private involvement groups in hunt of increased net incomes. With merely 1,600 employees to police the undeveloped forest countries, the Sarawak Forest Department found it hard to forestall illegal logging ( pg. 12, HBS ) . Protection of domestic markets from foreign competition is a common pattern among industrialising states. In the instance of Malaysia? s wood merchandises industry, the authorities encouraged local production of timber, furniture, and other wood merchandises through the limitation of exporting unrefined logs. This was known as downstream industries. The encouragement of downstream industries was another of import docket for the Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia, a authorities subdivision for the overseeing of Malaysia? s wood merchandises industry. # 8220 ; The thought that the woods could be used as a springboard for downstream integrating, or? resource based industrialisation? appealed to many Malaysian officials. # 8221 ; ( pg. 13, HBS ) To these functionaries, downstream integrating allowed for the employment of a big per centum of the market labour force every bit good as a lessening in the sum of lumber needed to bring forth occupations and export grosss. ( pg. 13, H BS ) To farther encourage downstream int! egration, the Malayan authorities granted revenue enhancement interruptions, subsidies, and other inducements to domestic makers. The Problem Developing industries which deal with the production of natural resource merchandises are really likely to be placed in the international limelight by pulling unfavorable judgment from environmental groups around the universe. Such is the instance for the Malayan authorities as explained in the Harvard Business School instance survey in which Malaysian premier curate Mahathir bin Mohamad was faced with media examination sing his state? s forest merchandise industry during a visit to the United States. Bing a state that is to a great extent dependent on foreign investing for its economic growing, Malaysia could non afford to merely disregard the unfavorable judgment its state receives from westerners whose investings they are trying to pull into the state. The job lies in differing positions on the side of western conservationists and the Malayan authorities. Western Critics Although Malaysia contains merely 2 # 8211 ; 3 % of the universe? s tropical woods ( pg.3, HBS ) , the biological potencies and environment potencies found in its rain forests are a cause for concern among western conservationists. These environmenta lists are speedy to indicate out that frequently times, the public assistance of the environment is far from the heads of those regulating a freshly industrializing state seeking to capitalise on its ownership of valuable natural resources. Harmonizing to the London Rainforest Movement and the Singaporean and Malaysian British Association, â€Å"the rapid devastation of the Sarawak rain forest means that a enormously rich natural research lab with huge potency for the wellness of world will be destroyed FOR EVER.† ( pg. 3, HBS ) Where an conservationist may see the medical and environmental values of a life wood, the Malayan authorities sees a trade good perfect for foreign exchange and economic growing. The conservationists besides accuse the Malayan authorities of excusing Acts of the Apostless such as forest # 8220 ; mining # 8221 ; ( pg. 3, HBS ) in which the sums of lumber harvested exceed the growing of the staying lumber, and intervention in the rights of autochthonal people populating within the woods. Harmonizing to western critics, the most effectual manner of making alteration in Malaysia? s wood merchandises industry would be to originate a world-wide boycott of Malayan wood merchandises to which the Malayan authorities strongly opposed. The Malayan Government Despite the accusals from western conservationists and critics of development of Malaysia? s rain forests, the state? s authorities insists they have taken important stairss in guaranting the long term saving of the woods through new techniques, research and development, and the constitution of particular commissions and undertaking forces. Harmonizing to the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia ( FRIM ) , Malaysia is presently researching options to conventional logging techniques such as chopper logging. The advantage of this method of logging is a decrease in wood perturbation because the demand to build roads is minimized. This system would besides minimise dirt eroding which leads to deluging. The Forest Research Institute of Malaysia ( FRIM ) was established to develop guidelines for forestry direction and biodiversity preservation. The National Forestry Policy 1978 ( revised 1992 ) was established to # 8220 ; preserve and pull off the forest through sustainable direction and keep its of import functions in the national economic system and saving of environmental stableness # 8221 ; ( WWW ) . This papers inside informations specific strategies the Malayan authorities seeks to accomplish in protecting its rain forests. However, western conservationists question the effectivity of such a well intentioned papers without the proper resources to implement them with. Possible Solutions It is hard to follow and implement policies curtailing Malaysia? s usage of its resources because of its importance of prolonging economic growing and development as a freshly industrializing state. From reading the instance survey and researching current information sing Malaysia? s wood policy on the World Wide Web, there is no uncertainty that the Malayan authorities is cognizant of the international concern of its forest merchandises industry. In recent old ages, the Malayan authorities has sought to diversify its industries. The success of Malaysia? s forest preservation policies greatly depends on its ability to win in increasing exports of assorted manufactured goods every bit good as pulling greater foreign investing. In the interim, there are several possibilities the Malayan authorities can research in converting the international community that its attempts in forestry are sincere. In footings of the grant system in the logging industry, one possibility would be to do it more hard for private parties to obtain logging grants by holding the Malayan authorities demand higher royalties in return. The addition in gross can so be redirected to help attempts in patroling the rain forest in order to forestall illegal logging patterns. A first measure for both the Malayan authorities and western conservationists would be to keep a forum to discourse relevant issues of concern with one another instead than relay dissensions and unfavorable judgments through the international media. By keeping a forum affecting both representatives from the Malayan authorities and assorted environmental groups, the international limelight is briefly taken off the accusals which would so let for free treatments towards a solution both sides are satisfied with.