Indigenous communities in Sarawak celebrate what civil society group Save Rivers has termed a “landmark victory” after timber giant Samling withdrew several concessions from the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS).

In a meeting with the community on Feb 13, Samling representatives said the company has “abandoned logging” in the Gerenai Forest Management Unit (FMU) concession “due to sustained opposition from communities and NGOs, as well as financial considerations,“ Save Rivers said in a statement today...