Malaysia protests over RI's timber allegation<\/p>\n
Agence France-Presse, Kuala Lumpur<\/p>\n
Malaysia has criticized Indonesia's move to urge the European
\nUnion (EU) to stop importing Malaysian wood products, a report
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Lim Keng Yaik, primary industries minister, said on Saturday
\nthat Kuala Lumpur would send a protest note to Jakarta, rejecting
\nthe allegation that its wood products are made from illegally-
\nfelled Indonesian timber.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has asked the EU to reject wood-related products
\nfrom Malaysia because most of them are believed to be made from
\nlogs derived from illicit sources, forestry minister Muhammad
\nPrakosa had last said Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Lim denounced the charge.<\/p>\n
"I think the minister (Prakosa) maybe new and frustrated
\nbecause he cannot do anything to stop illegal logging. If he is
\nnew and does not know to do his work, I forgive him.<\/p>\n
"But to go and talk bad about other countries and ask the EU
\nnot to buy our timber is very bad," he was quoted as saying by
\nBernama news agency.<\/p>\n
Lim said Prakosa's statement showed that he had failed to stop
\nillegal logging which resulted in a huge financial loss to
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
Instead, he has taken the easy way out by blaming Malaysia,
\nthe Malaysian minister said.<\/p>\n
"That is why I told the EU that we certify our timber through
\nan independent assessment like SGS International, to show that
\ntimber from Malaysia comes from a sustainable managed forest,"
\nLim said.<\/p>\n
Lim said Malaysia had several times tried to arrange a meeting
\nwith Prakosa but failed.<\/p>\n
Bernama said Indonesia was insisting that EU countries should
\nscreen all timber products from Malaysia and to reject products
\nthat were suspected of using illegally cut logs from Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Lim said that Malaysia earned 14.08 billion ringgit (US$3.7
\nbillion) from timber exports in the first eight months of this
\nyear with exports for the entire year forecast at 21.12 billion
\nringgit.<\/p>\n
In 2002, exports amounted to 16.14 billion ringgit based on
\nsteady global demand for timber and timber-based products.<\/p>",
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