Law of Malaysia Act 313 (National Forestry Act 1984)
Deforestation is a common issue in Malaysia for years. Deforestation occurs when forests are depleted through logging and not replacing trees. The most prevalent motive for land clearing is to make room for crops and ranches. Trees were frequently felled for fuel and lumber, as well as to make place for towns. Many animals die as a result of deforestation, which destroys their habitat. In Malaysia, deforestation and forest degradation are complicated problems, with many causes. Therefore, in order to increase people’s awareness to minimise such disasters from happening, there are certain information that we, human being, should take note:-
National Forestry Act 1984 (Part VII Miscellaneous Offences and Penalties)
81. Acts prohibited in permanent reserved forests
(1) Unless authorized under this Act, no person shall, in a permanent reserved forest—
(a) graze cattle or permit cattle to graze;
(b) fell, cut, ring, mark, lop or tap any tree; or injure by fire, or otherwise, or remove any tree or timber;
(c) cause any damage in felling any tree or cutting or dragging any timber;
(d) search for, collect, subject to any manufacturing process or remove any forest produce or minerals;
(e) clear or break up any land for cultivation or any other purpose;
(f) use poisonous substance, or dynamite or other explosives on rivers or lakes for the purpose of fishing; or hunt, shoot, fish or set traps or snares; or
(g) trespass in any manner not in this section hereinbefore
prohibited.
(2) Any person who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable—
(a) if the offence is under paragraph (1)(a), to a fine not exceeding *ten thousand ringgit;
(b) if the offence is under paragraph (b) or (c), to a fine not exceeding **fifty thousand ringgit or to imprisonment
for a term not exceeding ***five years or to both such fine and imprisonment; and
(c) if the offence is under paragraph (d), (e), (f) or (g), to a fine not exceeding ten thousand ringgit or to imprisonment
for a term not exceeding three years or to both such fine and imprisonment.
82. Prohibition as to Fire
(1) No person shall kindle, keep or carry any fire, or leave any fire burning, within a permanent reserved forest in such a
manner as to endanger such reserved forest.
(2) Any person who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine not
exceeding *fifty thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding **five years or to both such fine and imprisonment.
83. Offensive Littering
(1) No person shall commit offensive littering in a permanent reserved forest.
(2) Any person who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding †ten thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ††three years or to both such fine and imprisonment.
(3) A person commits offensive littering in a permanent reserved forest if he creates an objectionable stench or degrades the beauty or the appearance of property or detracts from the natural cleanliness or safety of property by intentionally—
(a) discarding or depositing any rubbish, trash, garbage, debris or other refuse;
(b) draining, or causing or permitting to be drained, mining sludge, industrial effluent, sewage or the drainage from a cesspool, septic tank, recreational or camping vehicle waste holding tank or other contaminated source; or
(c) permitting any rubbish, trash, garbage, debris or other refuse to be thrown from a vehicle which he is operating or which is under his control.
84. Unlawful possession of forest produce
(1) Any person found in possession, custody or control of any forest produce on which royalty, premium, cess or other charges in respect of such forest produce has not been paid shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding *fifty thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding **five years or to both such fine and imprisonment.
(2) If in any prosecution in respect of any forest produce for the non-payment of any royalty, premium, cess or other charges, any dispute arises whether the royalty, premium, cess or other charges
have been paid in respect of such forest produce or whether any forest produce is exempt from any royalty, premium, cess or other charges under this Act, then in every such case the burden of proof thereof shall be on the defendant in such prosecution.
85. Penalty for counterfeiting or defacing, or possessing implements for counterfeiting, marks on trees and timber and altering boundary marks
Any person who—
(a) knowingly counterfeits upon any tree or timber, or has in his possession any implement for counterfeiting, any mark used by forest officers;
(b) unlawfully or fraudulently affixes to any tree or timber any mark used by forest officers or any property mark;
(c) alters, defaces or obliterates any mark placed on any tree or timber by or under the authority of a forest officer; or
(d) alters, removes, destroys or defaces, any boundary mark of a permanent reserved forest or of any land proposed to be included in a permanent reserved forest, shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding five hundred thousand ringgit and to imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than one year but shall not exceed twenty years.
86. General penalty
Whoever commits a breach of any rules for the breach of which no penalty is expressly provided shall on conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding *fifty thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding **five years or to both such fine and imprisonment.
However, the above-said contents are just part of the National Forestry Act 1984. In order to protect yourselves from the laws, and foremost, care for our lovely Mother Nature ! Let us heal the world, make it a better place, for you, for me and the entire human race !
As a human, we must acknowledge that deforestation must be stopped to avoid climate change, global warming, floods, animal extinction and the loss of animal habitats. As humans, we must recognise that deforestation must be halted in order to prevent climate change, global warming, flooding, animal extinction and habitat loss. It all starts with us taking care of the forest and preventing deforestation for the future benefit of the community.
