PUTRAJAYA: A complete report on the number of illegal loggings happening in the country will be presented to Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar by Wednesday next week, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim.
The report will include the names of responsible parties and the number of areas affected to enable the government to take action.
"These activities are conducted in secluded forest areas and based on our checks, those involved in these illegal activities are mostly illegal immigrants who have managed to evade the police.
"They run away and live in the forest. However, they are paid by foreign syndicates to conduct these illegal activities. That's why it's hard for us to trace the perpetrators," he said, adding that the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry will also be present during the presentation.
Shahidan added the non-governmental associations have also shared their information on the report.
"We will also announce the best state with the best forest management system," he said during a press conference after he presented the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) honorary colonel award appointment letters to Jaringan Melayu Malaysia (JMM) president Datuk Azwanddin Hamzah.
Other award recipients were Datuk Mohd Zuki Ali, Datuk Shuhaini Shafie, Datuk Mohd Aizussin Mohd Ghazali, Mohd Radzuan Jamaludin, Datuk Sandanatavan Marimuthu, Datuk Mariani Yahya, Mohd Hashidin Jonid, Mohd Johan A. Rahman and lieutenant colonel Kamal Mokhtar, who was promoted to colonel.
Azwanddin said the award was timely as it can help encourage higher participation by Malaysians to help strengthen APM.
He said the number of volunteers for APM under JMM now currently stands at 7,000.