LETTER | I fully support the call by Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister for Sarawak Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah and Deputy Chief Minister Awang Tengah for a thorough investigation into the "no-case" decision by the investigation committee on the alleged illegal timber logging in Bintulu, Sarawak.

Like the minister, I smell something not right here. In fact, many people in the know have talked about the stench of the rot in the Forestry Department for many years now.

Even the late Chief Minister Adenan Satem said in 2014 that the corruption was “very bad, a reflection of what enforcement officers have not been doing” and warned there would zero tolerance for those who worked “with eyes but blind, with ears but deaf and with mouths but dumb.”

Besides calling on the MACC to conduct the investigation, I also call upon the members of this so-called “investigation committee” to identify themselves and justify their findings.

This is a matter involving the people’s resources and they must be responsible and answerable to the people for their decisions. There must be solid and sound reasons behind their decision, otherwise, the public cannot be blamed for being suspicious.

There have been many reports of illegal logging and seizures made but surprisingly very few reports of prosecution. In a front-page report in the Borneo Post on Oct 27, 2017, figures of illegal logging cases/raids, number of logs detained, machinery seized and suspects caught were disclosed but no information on prosecutions was revealed.

In fact, the article pointed out that no explanation had ever been given to the public when logs and machinery were returned to companies which had been raided.

It also quoted the late Adenan Satem who said: “I suspect some enforcement personnel are in cahoots with illegal logging operators as every time enforcement agencies raided illegal logging sites, only logs and machinery were seized while the culprits had fled the scene.”

It would help bolster the public’s confidence in the Forestry Department if statistics of prosecutions and rates of success could be disclosed.

In Lawas, there have been reports of seizures over the past two years in places such as Sg Betanung Batang Trusan, Long Ugui, Jalan Sg Awat Awat and last month, at the Long Sukang, Lawas Water Catchment area and in Long Trusan. What action has been taken or will be taken against the culprits in these cases?

I hope the government under our current chief minister will continue with the late CM’s uncompromising stance against illegal logging. The people want to see results in the form of prosecutions, and not “no case” decisions by unknown committees.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.