The penalty for illegal logging will be doubled to RM1mil and jail term raised to between five and 20 years, after amendments to the relevant law are made next year.
Currently, the penalty for illegal logging is RM500,000 and jail of between one and 20 years.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the decision was made Wednesday to amend the National Forestry Act 1984 (Act 313), to intensify law enforcement pertaining to illegal logging and similar offences.
He said the Attorney-General’s office would study the minimum amount of penalty before the Bill could be tabled in Parliament next year.
“The National Forestry (Amendment) Act 2010 will emphasise transferring the burden of producing evidence from the prosecutors to those who are found to possess the illegal logs,” he said, after chairing the 66th National Land Council meeting here Wednesday.
