In Malaysia, indigenous people, such as the Penan, Iban and others, have been opposing the logging of their customary lands for years. Most of the logging in Malaysia was (and is) taking place in the states of Sabah and Sarawak, which make up the part of the island of Borneo claimed by Malaysia (the rest is claimed by Indonesia). Logging in Malaysian Borneo began in earnest in the 1960s with a logging boom spurred by British multinational companies (Gillis, The Logging Industry in Tropical Asia, in People of the Tropical Rain Forest, Smithsonian, University of California Press, 1988). By 1987 almost all logging concessions were held by domestic firms. By 1986, Peninsular Malaysia was the largest source of sawtimber from tropical logs and Sabah (a Malaysian state on the island of Borneo) was the world’s leading log exporter (Gillis, 1988).

Malaysia had also become a large plywood exporter (later second in tropical plywood exports only to Indonesia). The plywood, called meranti in Malaysia (known as lauan in the US), is the largest internationally traded tropical hardwood product, used in Japan for concrete pouring forms and construction and in the US for facing of interior doors, paneling, subflooring, set construction, truck and trailer walls, shipping containers, interior shelving and cabinets, picture frame backing and crafts.

In 1971 Sarawak was exporting 4.2 million cubic meters of wood. A decade later exports had more than doubled and by 1985 they had reached 10.6 million cubic meters. In that year over 600,000 acres were logged. An additional 12.7 million acres, representing 60% of Sarawak's total forested area, were licensed for future logging. In 1990 the annual cut had escalated to 18.8 million cubic meters (Sarawak Peoples Campaign).

Around 1985, Activists found that it was a company tied to Mitsubishi International that was doing the logging in lands traditionally occupied by the Penan, the largest hunter-gatherer group remaining in the world.

Australian environmental groups, including the Australian Rainforest Action Group and Rainforest Information Centre, began a boycott of tropical hardwoods imported into Australia. In one daring action, activists in kayaks physically blocked the docking of a ship carrying thousands of tons of tropical plywood from the rainforests of Malaysian. This action catalyzed a movement that went around the world, leading to boycotts of tropical wood use by hundreds of municipalities in Europe, especially Germany.

In 1987, the Penan initiated a blockade of the logging road leading to their lands that had been bulldozed by the company.

Police were eventually called in to break up the blockade, many Penan were beaten and arrested and some went into hiding and exile.

Malaysia eventually passed a law making the blockading of logging roads illegal.

The Penan resumed the logts is also palm oil and rubber plantations. Malaysia is the world’s largest rubber producer. The tree, Hevea brasiliensis was taken from Brazil by the British and planted in plantations in Malaysia. Control of these plantations was a major factor in World War II. Since their beginning, rubber plantations have continually expanded into the rainforests and now play a large role in deforestation.

Palm oil was a major plantation product until a global bust that occurred in the late 1970s/early 1980s. The bust was due to a reduction in palm oil popularity due to its saturated fat content. However, palm oil production has again expanded dramatically in Malaysia since the mid 1990s.

Logging and plantations go hand-in-hand. It is often the same company that, after getting a concession for planting a plantation — be it rubber or palm oil — gets to clears an area of rainforest — a huge windfall of timber free of stumpage fees. Many logging companies have expanded into plantation management because of this cozy incentive.

Since the late 1980s, many Malaysia timber firms have become giants, large enough to expand beyond Malaysia. In fact, Malaysian logging firms have expanded around the world, logging in places as far afield as Belize and the Amazon. Rimbunan Hijau is a good example, with operations in Malaysia, Russia and Brazil.

Much of the wood cut in Malaysia goes to feed a large domestic wood manufacturing industry and much of the products are exported. Rainforest woods such as merbau, keruing, kapur, jelutong, ramin and others are used in products ranging from plywood to furniture to moldings. Below are lists of some of the more commonly exported Malaysian woods and a few companies that are involved in logging and export of forest products.

The Malaysian Timber Council has instituted a certification scheme for certifying forest concessions and producers as well-managed. They call it “independent”. But the Malaysian Timber Council is the association that promotes the use of Malaysian timber by its ts is also palm oil and rubber plantations. Malaysia is the world’s largest rubber producer. The tree, Hevea brasiliensis was taken from Brazil by the British and planted in plantations in Malaysia. Control of these plantations was a major factor in World War II. Since their beginning, rubber plantations have continually expanded into the rainforests and now play a large role in deforestation.

Palm oil was a major plantation product until a global bust that occurred in the late 1970s/early 1980s. The bust was due to a reduction in palm oil popularity due to its saturated fat content. However, palm oil production has again expanded dramatically in Malaysia since the mid 1990s.

Logging and plantations go hand-in-hand. It is often the same company that, after getting a concession for planting a plantation — be it rubber or palm oil — gets to clears an area of rainforest — a huge windfall of timber free of stumpage fees. Many logging companies have expanded into plantation management because of this cozy incentive.

Since the late 1980s, many Malaysia timber firms have become giants, large enough to expand beyond Malaysia. In fact, Malaysian logging firms have expanded around the world, logging in places as far afield as Belize and the Amazon. Rimbunan Hijau is a good example, with operations in Malaysia, Russia and Brazil.

Much of the wood cut in Malaysia goes to feed a large domestic wood manufacturing industry and much of the products are exported. Rainforest woods such as merbau, keruing, kapur, jelutong, ramin and others are used in products ranging from plywood to furniture to moldings. Below are lists of some of the more commonly exported Malaysian woods and a few companies that are involved in logging and export of forest products.

The Malaysian Timber Council has instituted a certification scheme for certifying forest concessions and producers as well-managed. They call it “independent”. But the Malaysian Timber Council is the association that promotes the use of Malaysian timber by its members, made up of loggers, manufacturers and exporters — hardly an independent source.