KUCHING, June 12 — Deputy Sarawak Premier Datuk Awang Tengah Ali Hasan disclosed that 13 Forest Management Units (FMUs) with about 1.27 million hectares of land have been issued with certifications as of May 10 this year.

He said logging companies, which are issued with long-term licences, are required to obtain the status of certifications.

"The forest certification is a continuous commitment by the Sarawak government and it is in line with the Post-Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030 ( PCDS 2030) based on economic prosperity and environmental sustainability,” he said at a joint Hari Raya and Gawai Dayak dinner organised by the Ministry of Urban Development and Natural Resources and Ministry of International Trade here last night.

Awang Tengah, who helms the two ministries, said the state government through the Forest Department, will continue to implement the forest landscape restoration programme which is now renamed Greening Sarawak Campaign.

He said the programme is aimed to enrich degraded forest areas and involving all stakeholders, including the local communities.

"It is also in line with Greening Malaysia Programme to plant 100 million trees by 2025.

"The Sarawak government is committed to plant 35 million a year within a period of five or seven years,” he said.

He said the state government has set up the Sarawak Delta Geopark and intends to have it certified as a Unesco Global Geopark.

Awang Tengah said the geopark covers 311,246 hectares of land and water with cultures special to Kuching, Bau, Siburan and Padawan.

He added that it has undergone an evaluation process from January 19 to 21 and expects the results to be known later this month.