Energy minister: RM11.26m under 12th Malaysia Plan for Heart of Borneo initiative

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 13 — The government is committed to continuing with the Heart of Borneo (HoB) initiative and has approved an allocation of RM11.26 million for the implementation of programmes and activities under  the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) next year.

Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Datuk Shamsul Anuar Nasarah said continuation of the HoB initiative under the 12MP is important in line with the goal of sustainable forest management and conservation of biological diversity in Borneo and Malaysian.

He said the government had so far channelled RM90.3 million under the 9th until the 11th Malaysia Plan to fund projects under the HoB initiative in Sabah and Sarawak.

“Since the HoB declaration was signed in 2007, various conservation and preservation efforts and activities in the areas that have been identified under the HoB initiative have been implemented by Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.

“Series of talks, meetings and seminars on HoB have also been held as a platform for the three countries to exchange experiences, ideas and discuss issues that touch on common interests on HoB,” he said in a statement today.

Shamsul Anuar said for the past 13 years, among the achievements of the initiative were the increase in the area of HoB Malaysia in Sarawak, from 2.1 million hectares to 2.7 million hectares, and the increase in Totally Protected Areas (TPA) in Sabah, by 125,865 hectares.

Apart from that, the annual International HoB Conference, organised by the Sabah government, has become a flagship programme under the HoB Malaysia initiative,

“I would like to express my appreciation and gratitude to the Sabah and Sarawak state governments for their continued efforts and commitment in ensuring the successful implementation of this HoB initiative.

“The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources as the Chairman of the HoB Expert Working Group and the national focal point for this initiative will continue to be committed and fully support the implementation of the HoB initiative as one of the national projects,” he said.

Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia signed the Declaration of Heart of Borneo (HoB) in 2007 to ensure natural treasures in the Borneo archipelago such as the flora and fauna, are managed permanently.

The total area involved under the HoB Initiative is 20 million hectares, of which 6.8 million hectares are in Sabah and Sarawak. — Bernama