The Iban community in Kampung Temiang, Simunjan, in Sarawak are protesting against logging activities taking place in their native customary rights (NCR) land, right behind their houses.

In a letter addressed to the state forestry department director Cheong Ek Choon, village chief Ajan Wen, on behalf of the 600-strong longhouse community, said he regretted that the department had permitted the logging activities.

The department had issued a licence (T/8404) allowing First Binary Sdn Bhd to carry out logging activities and remove fruit trees from NCR land the Iban regard as pulau galau (area for the gathering of produce) and temuda (cultivated land) within their pemakai menoa (area chosen by pioneers of a longhouse community).

The law recognises pulau galau, temuda and pemakai menoa as NCR land.

Ajan, in the letter, said the longhouse residents were in need of the timber within the locality as materials for their own houses.

"The pulau galau or forest area also consists of fruit trees planted by their grandparents, parents and themselves and they include such species as engkabang (illipenut ), durian, (bamboo), dabai (a type of edible fruit), langsat, rambutan, nyatu, kepayang, rubber trees and others which are often felled for their commercial value," he added.

He said the area was also vital for its produce used in the making of traditional medicine.

A copy of the letter was made available to malaysiakini by Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (Sadia) secretary-general Nicholas Mujah,who will be raising the issue at a closed-door dialogue between social NGOs in Kuala Lumpur this week

Meeting proposed

Meanwhile, Ajan, in the letter, said in order to avoid any misunderstanding and unfortunate situations, the community proposed a meeting between their security and development committee and senior officers of the department.

He added that the meeting should be held as soon as possible before any damage is done to the NCR land.

Ajan feared if the department was to allow logging activities in the area it would cause environmental damage and health problems for the local community, who are residing close to it.

Allowing such logging activities without any consultation with the natives went against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, he added.

He also claimed to have been threatened with arrest if he tried to prevent the logging activities.

Ajan said the community would continue to work together with other indigenous groups in Sarawak to fight the certification of timber exported from Malaysia, especially from the state, as long as native rights on land and their interest were not protected.

"We will stand firm in our resolve to fight for our rights against anyone who wants to take it away from us," he added.

Ajan has also written to the Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC) chairperson Freezailah Che Yeom, explaining the situation and urging him to exert pressure on the authorities to revoke the licence issued to First Binary Sdn Bhd.

Official records showed that the logging licence, valid until next July, covers an area of 14,00 hectares, with no control on girth of timber to be removed.

TONY THIEN is malaysiakini's Sarawak-based stringer.