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I REFER to two articles in your publication written about tree planting in Sabah which I believe, deserve some clarification.

The issue are:

(1) Trees have been planted in the last (100) years or more in Sabah, e.g. Teak on Timbun Mata Island (Semporna) for unknown reasons and at both Kota Marudu and Lahad Datu to support the Tobacco industry. Although started on a trial basis, the industry proved its worth. 

(2) Commercially, it was not until 1982, that the tree became a crop of commercial importance. In Sabah, we started to plant indigenous timbers of high value. The government at that time set up Sabah Softwoods Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of The Yayasan Sabah Group of companies. 

Two people were responsible of this endeavour, the late Datuk Syed Kechik, then the Director of the Sabah Foundation with the policy, and Mike McMynn who started the operations on the ground. You may not like what they did, but I believe they practised sustainability, which never dies.

(3) These were the people who pioneered the consolidation of a most valuable project: Datuk Harvey Sidek Martyn (Conservator of Forests), Datuk K.M. Mastan (Conservator of Forests), YBhg Haji Ali Hassan (Conservator of Forests), Datuk Miller Munang (Conservator of Forests), Fidelis E. Bajau (Deputy Director), Pat Cassels (NBT), Ros Ibbotson (NBT), Peter Rajah (NBT), Cyril Pinso (Sabah Foundation) and Haji Daud Tampokong (Sabah Foundation). The Indian chefs serving curries at Luasong and Brumas, were also there to serve visitors. 

(4) The Usno government of Sabah in 1974, allocated 60,000 hectares for planting of trees in Kalabakan, then, the first shipment of logs to Indonesia, came about in 1982 -First ever from Sabah. Seeing the development in the early 1970s , the plantation industry joined the bandwagon - Sabah Forest Industries, Safoda, etc. 

(5) Sabah Softwoods Sdn. Bhd., pioneered the development of tree husbandry in 1974 and we have acquired the benefits from somebody’s else labour and vision. 

(6) So, in short Sabah Softwoods Sdn Bhd started it all and started exporting plantation timber in the 1980s. It is 2026 now. 

In conclusion, Sabah Softwoods Sdn Bhd is the “creator pioneer” of planted timber from Sabah, while others followed from behind. 

It is the production of high - quality timber in the long run, with consistency that matters. 

As to ITPs (Industrial Tree Plantation), it is a term introduced by the Germans to Sabah in the late 1980s vide a project. All trees below 30cm diameter are ITPs (industrial tree plantation), exotic or indigenous. 

In the end process, one does not have to be extravagant, it is the production of high - quality timber, with consistency that matters.

Datuk Sam Mannan (Chief Conservator of Forests (Retired)

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