FOREST MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATION IN PENINSULAR MALAYSIA

Forest management certification is one of the mechanisms for measuring forest management to help reduce the process of deforestation, protect catchment areas and water quality, conserve the environment, maintain the survival of forest resources, and improve the economy for local residents who depend on forest products in line with the Forestry Policy of Peninsular Malaysia.

The Malaysian Criteria and Indicators (MC&I) for Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) or in short MC&I SFM is the national forest management certification standard that specifies the requirements for the certification of sustainable forest management system of a specified forest management unit (FMU), either natural forests or forest plantation. The Standard supersedes the MC&I (Natural Forest) and the MC&I Forest Plantation.v2 as the standard to be used for certification of forest management of natural forests and forest plantations in Malaysia.

The merging and harmonisation of these two forest management certification standards is intended to enable more efficient use of time and resources. In general, changes include limiting the conversion of forest plantations to other land uses; ensuring that the conversion of natural forests to forest plantations has no negative impact on areas with high carbon stocks; the need for procedures to minimise damage from oil spills; the need to reduce the use of fertilisers in the management of natural forests and forest plantations; and increases in conservation aspects as well as economic and social benefits.

The Standard has been designed to support and strengthen the regulatory framework within which the forest managers operate, where compliance with legislation is a minimum requirement. Its set of requirements supports the achievement of sustainable forest management, which may involve going beyond the legal minimum to fulfil the social, environmental, and economic aspects of certification.

The Standard is structured around nine Principles as follows:

• Principle 1: Compliance with Laws

• Principle 2: Tenure and Use Rights and Responsibilities

• Principle 3: Indigenous Peoples’ Rights

• Principle 4: Community Relations and Workers’ Rights

• Principle 5: Benefits from the Forest

• Principle 6: Environmental Impact

• Principle 7: Management Plan

• Principle 8: Monitoring and Assessment
• Principle 9: Maintenance of High Conservation Value Areas

The requirements in the Standard apply to both natural forest and forest plantation conditions unless specifically indicated in the Criterion or Indicator or Verifier, and must be adhered to throughout the activities conducted within the Forest Management Unit (FMU) either by the owner, manager, contractor, operator or workers involved in the management activities of the FMU. To date, seven (7) FMUs in the states of Johor, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Selangor, Terengganu and Kedah have received Forest Management Certificates under the MC&I SFM standard, involving a Permanent Forest Reserved (PFR) area of 4.054 million ha. The MC&I SFM standard documents are in Appendix 1.

Malaysian Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management Standard

 Forest Management Certificates under the MC&I

PEMBANGUNAN DAN PELAKSANAAN KRITERIA DAN PETUNJUK PENGURUSAN HUTAN DI SEMENANJUNG MALAYSIA

Usaha perumusan kriteria dan petunjuk sebagai standard pengukur untuk pengurusan hutan secara berkekalan telah mula dilaksanakan di Semenanjung Malaysia pada tahun 1994 berdasarkan ITTO Criteria and Indicators For Sustainable Forest Management yang diterbitkan pada tahun 1992. Lanjutan daripada itu, satu dokumen yang dikenali sebagai Kriteria, Petunjuk, Aktiviti dan Spesifikasi Pengurusan untuk Pensijilan Pengurusan Hutan Di Semenanjung Malaysia telah dihasilkan.

Standard ini telah diuji pemakaiannya di negeri Pahang, Selangor dan Terengganu menerusi satu projek perintis kerjasama Malaysia – The Netherlands pada pertengahan tahun 1996. Hasil kajian projek perintis ini telah dibincangkan dalam beberapa forum yang diadakan pada tahun 1998 dan 1999. Beberapa faktor, pandangan atau perkembangan penting terhadap kriteria dan petunjuk telah diambilkira. Di antaranya termasuklah:

• Penerimapakaian Dutch Minimum Standards oleh pihak The Netherlands sebagai standard pengurusan hutan yang baik;
• Penerimapakaian ITTO Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management of Natural Tropical Forests, 1998 di Malaysia; dan
• Hasil sesi-sesi rundingan di peringkat wilayah dan kebangsaan pada tahun 1999 untuk merumuskan satu standard nasional bagi pensijilan pengurusan hutan.

Output daripada perbincangan di forum-forum ini adalah penghasilan dokumen bertajuk Malaysian, Criteria, Indicators, Actitivies and Standards of Performance (MC&I) for Forest Management Certification (Forest Management Unit Level), Peninsular Malaysia bertarikh 23 Disember 1999. Dokumen Standard ini lebih dikenali sebagai MC&I (2001). Secara ringkasnya, standard yang dibangunkan tersebut adalah seperti berikut:

Standard MC&I (2001) yang dilaksanakan di lapan (8) buah negeri iaitu Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Selangor dan Terengganu telah menerima beberapa permintaan telah diutarakan agar standard ini diperlengkapkan lagi bagi memberi pertimbangan yang lebih munasabah dan menyeluruh kepada kehendak perlindungan alam sekitar, ekologi, sosial dan kepelbagaian biologi.

Hasil daripada kajian semula, dokumen bertajuk Malaysian Criteria and Indicators for Forest Management Certification [MC&I (2002)] telah diterimapakai sebagai Standard untuk penilaian dan Pensijilan Pengurusan Hutan pada tahun 2004. Secara ringkasnya, Prinsip, Kriteria dan Indikator dan juga Verifier di bawah standard MC&I (2002) untuk Semenanjung Malaysia adalah seperti berikut:

Selaras dengan amalan antarabangsa dan proses penetapan standard untuk pembangunan standard pensijilan yang diterima pakai di bawah Skim Pensijilan Kayu Malaysia (MTCS), di mana ianya memerlukan supaya kajian semula dijalankan sekurang-kurangnya setiap lima (5) tahun sekali untuk memastikan penambahbaikan dibuat secara berterusan. Untuk tujuan ini, Standards Review Committee (SRC) yang merupakan forum pelbagai pihak berkepentingan yang ditugaskan untuk mengkaji semula MC&I (2002) serta untuk membangunkan standard yang disemak semula telah ditubuhkan. Majlis Pensijilan Kayu Malaysia (MTCC) bertindak sebagai Sekretariat kepada SRC dan memainkan peranan bagi memudahkan pembentukan SRC itu.

Setelah dibuat perubahan dan penambahbaikan, Standard MC&I (Hutan Asli) dapat dirumuskan seperti berikut:

Semua pemegang Sijil Pengurusan Hutan di bawah MTCS telah mengemukakan pelan peralihan kepada Badan Pensijilan Bebas yang berkenaan sebelum tarikh aplikasi iaitu 1 Julai 2012. Audit dijalankan berdasarkan kepada kehendak MC&I (Hutan Asli), tetapi sebarang ketakakuran terhadap aspek baru di dalam MC&I (Hutan Asli) berbanding MC&I (2002) direkodkan sebagai “Pemerhatian”.

Kelapan-lapan FMU di Semenanjung Malaysia iaitu Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Selangor dan Terengganu telah berusaha sedaya upaya untuk beralih dari MC&I (2002) dengan melaksanakan keperluan-keperluan dalam MC&I (Hutan Asli) menjelang 1 Jun 2013. Semua FMU tersebut mematuhi standard MC&I (Hutan Asli) dan telah dianugerahkan sijil baru yang sah laku selama tempoh tiga (3) tahun mulai tahun 2013 manakala sijil lama bagi standard MC&I (2002) adalah tidak sah lagi.

Sehingga 31 Disember 2014, lapan (8) FMU di Semenanjung Malaysia dengan melibatkan sejumlah 4.51 juta hektar Hutan Simpanan Kekal telah berjaya dikekalkan dengan Sijil Pengurusan Hutan mengikut Standard MC&I (Hutan Asli) oleh Badan Pensijilan Bebas iaitu SIRIM QAS International Sdn. Bhd. dan SGS (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.

Sungguhpun Pensijilan Pengurusan Hutan yang dilaksanakan kini lebih menjurus untuk memenuhi tuntutan dan kehendak pasaran pengguna antarabangsa (International Consumer Demand) dan penyertaan JPSM dalam Pensijilan Hutan (Forest Certification) pula adalah secara sukarela, namun penyertaan JPSM dan semua Jabatan Perhutanan Negeri dalam konteks ini adalah bertujuan utuh untuk menzahirkan komitmen murni terhadap kepentingan pengekalan peranan dan sumbangan sumber hutan negara, terutamanya kawasan-kawasan Hutan Simpanan Kekal (HSK) di bawah amalan Pengurusan Hutan Secara Berkekalan (PHSB) untuk dimanfaatkan oleh generasi masa kini dan masa hadapan. Hasrat JPSM ini juga sekaligus turut menjadi tumpuan utama pencapaian Wawasan JPSM, iaitu “Untuk Menjadi Agensi Terunggul Dalam Pengurusan Hutan Tropika Secara Berkekalan”. Bagi tujuan ini, Misi JPSM adalah untuk mengurus dan membangunkan sumber hutan secara berkekalan serta mengoptimumkan sumbangnya kepada pembangunan sosio-ekonomi Negara.

Sijil MC&I

Management Certification is an important activity at the international level, especially in the trade of timber products. Implementation of Forest Management Certification by the Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia is a voluntarily disclose for its genuine commitment to the importance of maintaining the forest resources of the country, particularly in areas of the Permanent Reserved Forest (PRF) under the Sustainable Forest Management Practices (SFM).

At present there are two (2) organizations that certify forest certification at the international level which are Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). In Peninsular Malaysia, the Forest Management Certification is based on PEFC that is carried out by the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS) using standard Malaysian Criteria and Indicators for Forest Management Certification (Natural Forest) [MC&I (Natural Forest)]. The assessment carried out for the purpose of Forest Management Certification is basically done by independent assessors who will carry out an assessment on every activities of forest management in the Forest Management Unit (FMU). This independent assessment is to avoid biasness and thus will enhance the image and credibility of forestry institutions. It is also a way to inform Malaysians about the actions taken by the Government through the Department of Forestry to achieve SFM. It is in the context of transparency and accountability.

The initiative to implement the forest management certification in Peninsular Malaysia began in 1994 under the ITTO Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management, published in 1992. This standard has been tested in the state of Pahang, Selangor and Terengganu through a pilot project in collaboration of Malaysia - Netherlands. Then, in 2001 Malaysian Criteria, Indicators, Actitivies and Standards of Performance (MC&I) documents has been published for Forest Management Certification in Peninsular Malaysia. This standard is better known as MC&I (2001) containing Criteria, Indicators, Activities and Standards of Performance as follows:

Under the MC&I (2001) standard, the Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia has obtained Forest Management Certification in 2002 through five (5) FMU namely Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Selangor and Terengganu. This was followed by Johor and Kedah FMU in 2003 and Kelantan FMU in 2004.

In line with the standard of international practice, a review of certification has been made to ensure that improvements are made continuously. Implementation of the revised standard is implemented by a Review Committee consisting of groups of stakeholders, each representing social (indigenous peoples and trade unions), interest groups on the environment and the economy, and government agencies in connection of three regions of Malaysia, namely Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia.

MC&I (2001) standard was later improved to consider a more reasonable and comprehensive requirements of environmental protection, ecological, social and biological diversity and it is known as the Malaysian Criteria and Indicators for Forest Management Certification [MC&I (2002)]. MC&I (2002) was first adopted in 2005. In summary MC&I (2002) contains Principles, Criteria, Indicators and Verifiers are as follows:

On January 13, 2012 Malaysian Criteria and Indicators for Forest Management Certification (Natural Forest) [MC&I (Natural Forest)] which has been improved were issued to replace the MC&I (2002). MC&I (Natural Forest) come into force on July 1, 2012. In summary, Principles, Criteria, Indicators and Verifiers under standard MC&I (Natural Forest) for Peninsular Malaysia are as follows:

In 2015, the review process to improve MC&I (Natural Forest) was implemented starting on 16 November 2015, and the final draft of the new standard was finalized and adopted by the Fifth SRC Meeting and subsequently approved by the MTCC Board of Trustees on 5 March 2020. Malaysian Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management (MC&I SFM) is the new standard that will replace MC&I (Natural Forest). It is expected that this standard will enter into force starting on 31 August 2021. This standard replaces MC&I (Natural Forest) and MC&I Forest Plantation.v2 as the standard to be used for forest management certification for natural forests and forest plantations in Malaysia. Therefore, the Principles, Criteria, Indicators and Verifiers under the MC&I SFM standard are as follows:

Until today, six (6) FMU that are Johor, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Selangor and Terengganu have been awarded the Certificate for Forest Management until 2020 involving PRF area of 3.71 million hectares.

Improvement of the standard document Forest Management Certification in Peninsular Malaysia

 Certification For Forest Management (Natural Forest)