Sarawak is likely to collaborate with Korea Forest Services in the area of green business services and agro-forest carbon trading in order to play a bigger role in addressing global climate change.
Assistant Minister of Environment Datu Len Latif Salleh said Korea Forest Services was very advanced in forest services, in tandem with its nation’s development which had undergone a major transformation over the past 20 years.
“We, on the other hand, can provide the platform for carbon trading, RADD, CDM and others,” he said at the end of the ‘Sarawak Timber Selling and Investment Mission to South Korea’, which stretched from Jan 9 to 15.
Among others, Len, who is also Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister Department (Promotion of Technical Education), had led a group to visit Young Lim Co Ltd’s timber mill in Incheon on Jan 12 and the Borneo International Furniture (BIF) factory and showroom on Jan 12-13.
“This is a good time to shift, and not just keeping natural forest. We aim for efficient forest plantation and land use, while upholding forest stewardship and integrity as repairing any damage is always more costly.
“We look forward to incorporating projects into Sarawak as Korea is advanced in the forest service industry. They have already embarked on carbon trading project in Indonesia, and they have expressed interest in providing forest services in Sarawak.”
Korea Forest Services has a long history of replanting forests as the forests in South Korea were virtually pulverized during the Korean War.
“Our target of having one million hectares of forest plantation seems to have attracted the attention of the Koreans.”
The investment mission was led by Second Minister of Resource Planning and Environment Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan.
The delegation included Assistant Minister of Resource Planning Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais, Assistant Minister of Rural Development Julaihi Narawi, Permanent Secretary to Ministry of Resource Planning and Environment Datuk Wan Alwi Wan Hashim, Permanent Secretary to Ministry of Industrial Development Datuk Liaw Soon Eng , SPU director Datuk Ismawi Ismuni, STIDC Board member Datuk Dr Yusuf Hadi, STIDC general manager Datuk Sarudu Hoklai and Sarawak Timber Association chairman Datuk Wong Kie Nai.
The aims of the mission were to gather information about the Korean timber market and economy, promote sale and increasing market share of timber species and products, including plywood, MDF and sawn timber, and explore other investment and trade opportunities.
It was also meant to strengthen the long bilateral ties and rapport with existing and potential buyers and end-users in Korea.
