OPENING SPEECH BY
YBHG. DATO' SRI ZOAL AZHA YUSOF
SECRETARY GENERAL
MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT
ON ASEAN PEATLAND FORESTS PROJECT CLOSING SEMINAR: SMART PARTNERSHIP OUTPUT AMONGST AGENCIES
ON 23 JUNE 2014 AT INTEKMA RESORT AND CONVENTION CENTRE, SHAH ALAM, SELANGOR
Bismillahir-Rahmannir-Rahim.
Bless and peace upon Prophet Muhammad.
Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh,
Salam Sejahtera,
Salam Satu Malaysia, dan
Salam Satu NRE
Terima kasih Saudari Pengacara Majlis
Yang Berbahagia Datuk Dr. Che Abdul Rahim bin Haji Nik
Deputy Secretary General (Environmental)
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment
Yang Berbahagia Dato’ Prof. Dr. Haji Abd. Rahman bin Haji Abd. Rahim
Director-General of Forestry Peninsular Malaysia
Mr. Faizal Parish
Director of Global Environment Centre, and the
Project Technical Advisor of the ASEAN Peatland Forests Project (APFP)
State Forestry Directors
Forestry Department Peninsular Malaysia, Division Directors
Head of Federal and States Departments, and
Distinguished Guests,
Yang Berbahagia Dato’- Dato’, Tuan-tuan and Puan-puan,
Alhamdulillah, before I begin with my speech allow me to take the opportunity to express my sincere to the organisers, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE), Forestry Department Peninsular Malaysia (FDPM) and Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) for the invitation to deliver this speech and to officiate the ASEAN Peatland Forests Project (APFP) CLOSING SEMINAR: SMARTPARTNERSHIP OUTPUTS AMONG AGENCIES. I also would like to take the opportunity to thank Yang Berbahagia Dato’- Dato’, Tuan-tuan and Puan-puan for making yourself available to attend and take part in this seminar.
I was made to understand there are about 120 participants from various agencies at the Federal and State level, private sectors, NGOs and Community Based Organisations (CBOs) are attending in the seminar. Your attendance clearly show your commitment in the effort to strengthen the implementation of the sustainable peatland mangement in Malaysia.
Yang Berbahagia Dato’- Dato’, Tuan-tuan and Puan-puan,
For you information, Malaysia is host to the second largest peatland area in ASEAN comprised approximately 2.5 million hectares. Peatlands provide an important economic, social and environmental service to society including climate change mitigation through carbon storage, clean water, flood mitigation, productive agriculture and are an important biodiversity store. However peatlands are increasingly coming under threat due to human impacts, which amongst others include encroachment, loss from wildfire and subsidence from poor land management practices.
One of the most important environmental and socio-economic impacts from peatland management is the issue of extensive peatland fires and associated transboundary haze pollution. To address the issue, the landmark ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution was signed by the ASEAN Member Countries on 10 June 2002 in Kuala Lumpur, and entered into force on 25 November 2003. The Agreement contains provisions on monitoring, assessment and prevention, technical cooperation and scientific research, mechanisms for coordination, lines of communication, and simplified customs and immigration procedures for disaster relief.
As a follow-up, ASEAN Peatland Management Strategy (APMS) was developed to provide a common framework for peatland management in the region for the period 2006-2020. The APMS is a detailed and complex set of ASEAN regional objectives that has developed 13 Focal Areas, 25 Operational objectives and 85 Actions. Following the development of the APMS each country has been tasked to develop its own National Action Plan for Peatlands (NAPP) to assist and align their national priorities into actions. Malaysia is proud to be one of the first countries in ASEAN having a NAPP endorsed by Cabinet in January 2011, which saw its implementation through this ASEAN Peatland Forest Project (2009-2014). The project was financially supported by International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) / Global Environment Facility (GEF), where NRE acted as the national focal point and the project itself was coordinated by the Forestry Department Peninsular Malaysia as the National Project Executing Agency. The ASEAN Secretariat is the APFP project leader and Global Environment Centre (GEC) acting as Regional Project Executing Agency.
Yang Berbahagia Dato’- Dato’, Tuan-tuan and Puan-puan,
The APFP project has been in operation across Malaysia since 2010. The immediate goal of the project was to promote the sustainable management of peatlands in Malaysia; through capacity building, fire prevention and control, private sector partnership and demonstration of best management practices. Many of the project activities were undertaken at the pilot site in Selangor, namely the North Selangor Peat Swamp Forest. Some of its project outputs and achievements (as I was made aware of) can be summarised as below:-
Establishment of National and State working and steering committees on peatlands;
Further revision of the National Action Plan for Peatlands (NAPP) and development of State Action Plan for Peatlands in Selangor;
Ongoing development of the Fire Danger Rating System (FDRS) and improvements in peatland fire management;
Pilot sites activities related to the development of Integrated Management Plan, peatland rehabilitation and corporative fire management; and
Improved development of community and private company participation in the management and functioning of peatland.
I was informed that there are 3 ASEAN Heritage Parks (AHPs) in existence in Malaysia, whereby none of it include peatland areas. So I would like to suggest that one of our peatland protected area to be nominated as an ASEAN Heritage Park. I was made to understand Maludam National Park in Sarawak is one of the potential site and I hope that the respective parties will work hard to achieve the goal.
Another thing I would like to suggest will be, to encourage the local communities living adjacent to the peatland areas to be involved in activities such as forest rehabilitation programme, monitoring and suppression of peat fire incidences. These communities can also become the eyes and ears of the government in the reporting of any encroachment or illegal activities in the peatland areas. I would like to announce the first CBO on peatland in ASEAN i.e. North Selangor Friends of Peatlands or Sahabat Hutan Gambut Selangor Utara was officially established in Malaysia. I would urge such organisations to be expanded to other major peatland areas in Malaysia.
Yang Berbahagia Dato’- Dato’, Tuan-tuan and Puan-puan,
I would like to congratulate Forestry Department Peninsular Malaysia for successfully bringing the APFP project to a closure. Thank you for a job well done. On the same note, I hope that the smart partnership programme started under the APFP project which serves to bring together all the related agencies, private sector, research institutions, higher learning institutions, NGOs and CBOs will continue its services under the continuation of this project. NRE as the focal point for APFP will continue in its role to lead this new development with Forestry Department Peninsular Malaysia as the national executing agency. I would also like to take the opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to ASEAN Secretariat for providing the leadership and the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) / Global Environment Facility (GEF) for providing the finance assistance to Malaysian Government to continue the effort for rehabilitation and sustainable management of peatland areas under the APFP.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) recognizes the values and challenges represented by peatlands within their borders and have been actively pursuing increased research, knowledge and improved management practices for peatlands. The success of the APFP project is clearly demonstrated through the development of a long term programme for the Sustainable Management of Peatland Ecosystems (2014-2020) that have the full support by all ASEAN Ministers on Environment, including Malaysia; led by our Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Yang Berhormat Datuk Seri Palanivel Govindasamy. The Sustainable Management of Peatland Ecosystems programme, is currently being translated into several beneficial projects across the region and will further support the implementation of the objectives of the ASEAN Peatland Management Strategy (2006-2020).
I am aware similar exercise is currently being undertaken to prepare the necessary documentation through stakeholder consultations to apply for the necessary allocation for the implementation of Sustainable Management of Peatland Ecosystems programme in Malaysia. I hope NRE can put serious consideration on this application based on the commitment given by our Minister of Natural Resources and Environment to ensure this programme can put into action in 2015.
Yang Berbahagia Dato’- Dato’, Tuan-tuan and Puan-puan,
I hope you will take the advantage of this seminar as a platform to present and discuss related outputs and findings from all activities implemented under the APFP. Beside that to share the information and idea between researchers, scientists, public servant, private sector and individual in the management, conservation and preservation of the peatlands biodiversity in our country. I would like to see the results of the seminar to be published and used as a reference that will guide the implementation of ASEAN Programme on SMPE (2015-2020).
Before I end my speech, I would like to congratulate the secretariat jointly Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Forestry Department Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Nature Society on the effort and hardwork to make this seminar a success. Not forgetting to all all of you who make yourself available to attend this seminar.
With the sacred words “Bismillahir-rahmanir-rahim (In The Name of Allah The Most Merciful and The Most Beneficent)” I am glad to officiate the ASEAN PEATLAND FORESTS PROJECT CLOSING SEMINAR: THE SMART PARTNERSHIP OUTPUT AMONGST AGENCIES.
Thank you.
Wabillahi-taufik-walhidayah.
Assallamualaikum Warahmatullahi-wabarakatuh.
YBHG. DATO’ SRI ZOAL AZHA YUSOF
SECRETARY GENERAL
MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT
Date: 23 June 2014
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