AR2006new copy.indd - Sabah Forestry Department

PM’s visit to DFR
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The Prime Minister’s Visit to Deramakot Forest Reserve
8th June, 2006
O
n 8th June 2006, the Forestry Department was
honored by a working visit to Deramakot Forest
Reserve, by the Prime Minister, YAB Dato’ Seri
Abdullah Haji Ahmad Badawi. Amongst the dignitaries
who accompanied the Prime Minister were: the Chief
Minister, YAB Datuk Musa Haji Aman, the Minister
of Natural Resources and Environment (Malaysia),
Dato’ Seri Azmi Khalid, Deputy Chief Ministers, YB
Datuk Seri Panglima Joseph Pairin Kitingan and YB
Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Yahya Hussien and the
Chief Secretary, Ministry of Natural Resources and
Environment, Dato’ Suboh Mohd Yassin.
Datuk Sam Mannan, Director
of Forestry, greets the PM as he
alights a military helicopter.
The other invited guests included: Nancy Abraham
representing the Alexander Abraham Foundation,
New York, Dr. Marc Ancrenaz of Hutan, a local NGO,
Dato’ Kalimullah Hassan of TSH resource, Datuk
Tengku Zainal Abidin Adlin of WWF and various
licencees and NGOs.
This visit by the Prime Minister, marked another
historical milestone for the Forestry Department,
given that it represented a 2nd visit by a Prime
Minister to the model SFM area, the first being by
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on 16th August 1997.
Dato Seri Abdullah’s visit furthur reaffirmed the
Federal Government’s support for SFM.
The Prime Minister and the Chief
Minister of Sabah are being briefed
by the Director of Forestry.
Amongst the programmes laid down for the Prime
Minister were:
• A briefing by the Director on the progress of SFM in
Sabah and the work undertaken in Deramakot.
•
A visit to a RIL harvesting area at compartment
No.56, that included silviculturally treated areas
and field demonstration of the SFM concept.
•
Skyline harvesting at compartment No. 44.
•
Lunch followed by group photographs.
Visit to a RIL harvesting area.
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Annual Report 2006
Clockwise from above: YAB PM being shown an orang utan nest close
to a harvesting area; briefing at the Skyline Harvesting Compartment;
and technician Hussein is seen briefing the PM and the Minister of
Natural Resources & Environment, Dato’ Seri Azmi Khalid.
•
A ceremony on cheque presentations by donors
to the Forestry Department, and
•
Planting of a Bambangan seedling by the Prime
Minister to commemorate the visit.
The concept of multiple-use forestry that took
care of bio-diversity requirements was re-enhanced
given that the Prime Minister was able to see for
himself, orang utan nests, in compartments which
had earlier on been logged under the RIL concept.
Lunch at Deramakot
The Forestry Department looks upon the PM’s
visit as an endorsement of Sabah’s SFM efforts by
the highest level of the political echelon. It was also
a great morale-booster for the Forestry Department
that the Prime Minister took time from his busy
schedule to visit a remote project area in the middle
of Sabah.
This clearly demonstrates the importance
of SFM as a political agenda at the highest level
of government, which also augurs well for the
management of forests in this country.
The PM signs the visitors’ book
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PM’s visit to DFR
Cheque presentation from the Alexander Abraham Foundation
Cheque presentation from TSH Resources
Planting of a Bambangan seedling (mangifera pajang)
Unveiling a plaque of the tree planting site
Group photo with the Heads of Division
Group photo with the District Forestry Officers
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