SABAH FORESTRY DEPARTMENT MILESTONE
The Right Honourable Chief Minister receiving a souvenir from the Director of Sabah Forestry Department, witnessed by other dignitaries on stage.
The Sabah Forestry Department celebrated its 100th year anniversary (1914-2014) at the historical Padang Merdeka in Kota Kinabalu on the 9th of November 2014, with the theme ‘For The Greatest Good, For The Greatest Number, In The Long Run’. The celebration started with a grand launching in the evening, officiated by the Chief Minister of Sabah, YAB Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Hj. Aman and witnessed by honourable ministers, foreign dignitaries and distinguished guests, including the fifth Prime Minister of Malaysia, YABhg. Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his wife, YABhg. Tun Jeanne Abdullah, as well as the Federal Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, YB Dato’ Seri G. Palanivel.
Apart from speeches and the launching gimmick with video animation, the event showcased a 20 minute centennial video presentation of the Sabah Forestry Department’s history and accomplishments, and a colourful centennial parade featuring the changes in the uniform groups throughout the 100 years and the participation of relevant agencies, as well as an inspirational Haka dance of the Maoris by the department’s staff. During the event, two books were launched, namely ‘History of Logging in North Borneo’ authored by Ross Ibbotson and ‘The Green Heart of Sabah’ authored by Matthew Oldfield. Four memorandums of understanding were signed on research and conservation cooperation with the department.
The signatories were: Kyoto University, Kipandi Park, The Nature Conservancy and PPB Oil Palms Berhad. The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) presented an IUFRO congratulatory certificate to the department for its 100 years of establishment. It was presented by Dr Michael Kleine, the Deputy Executive Director of IUFRO, who had previously worked with Sabah Forestry Department under the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ). Dr Glyn Davies of WWF UK, Dato’ Dr Dionysius Sharma and Datuk Dr Junaidi Payne of WWF Malaysia presented a paper on 40 years of conservation data to the Chief Minister.
A 1 2 stunning 5-minute firework display marked the climax of the centennial celebration’s launching. The Guest of Honour and other dignitaries also visited the Centennial Expo which was put up to showcase various activities of the department throughout the 100 years. The expo was opened to the public for the following three days.
One of the contingents of the Centennial Parade, featuring the department’s
uniform from 1946 to 1963.
The book launches.
The memorandums of understanding signing ceremony.
The guardians of Sabah’s forests from 1914 to 2014, as showcased at the Centennial Expo.
Another part of the Centennial Expo that showcases 100 years of forestry activities and research.
The vertical garden, comprising mainly native ornamental plant species.
In conjunction with the centennial celebration, the department also hosted the Heart of Borneo (HoB) International Conference on the 10th of November and the 17th Malaysian Forestry Conference (MFC) on the 11th and 12th of November, 2014. Hence, it was a 3-in-1 event of the Sabah Forestry Department. The annual HoB Conference focussed on enhancing biodiversity towards no net loss and beyond within the HoB landscape while the MFC is held every three years on a rotational basis among the Forestry Departments of Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia. The theme for the 17th MFC was ‘A Century of Forest Management: Lessons Learnt and the Way Forward’, which was timely, in line with the centennial celebration. The centennial celebration has enabled us to take a stroll down memory lane and remind the present generation of the significance of forestry in contributing to the state. The chronology of the establishment and key milestones of the department is shown in Appendix 1. In brief, the department was established in 1914 when Sabah was still under the rule of the British North Borneo Chartered Company. Starting from a humble beginning of 6 staff, the department has grown over the years and at present, it is a big organization with 27 District Forestry Offices and a workforce of about 2,000 staff. Throughout the 100 years of establishment, the Sabah Forestry Department has gained numerous achievements with both local and international recognitions in Sustainable Forest Management (SFM), which are in line with the department’s vision towards the realization of SFM and its mission to effectively and efficiently plan and implement the management of the state’s forest resources in accordance with the principles of SFM. However, we acknowledge that some priceless ecological treasures have also perished throughout the years. To date, Sabah has about 21% (or 1,553,262 ha) of the state’s total land mass gazetted as Totally Protected Areas (TPAs), which is arguably the largest in Malaysia. This percentage has exceeded the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) standard of 10%, and also the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) target of 17% of various types of ecosystems.
The Sabah Forestry Department has never compromised with quality and standard of excellence, as shown in the concerted teamwork in organizing the centennial celebration which people will remember for many years. This is in line with the department’s motto, ‘We aim to be the best’. As the custodian of Sabah’s forests, it is my fervent hope and aspiration that Sabah Forestry Department will continue to excel in sustainable forest management – for the greatest good, for the greatest number, in the long run!
