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Non-popular or lesser-known timber species in Malaysia are available in the form of mixed species or ‘chap-char’ as it is known in Chinese. Veneers of these timbers are mainly used for plywood manufacturing and it is difficult to ascertain their identities since they are mixed and sold in packages. Their usage is also further restricted by the timber availability.

In expanding its potential usage, lesser-known timber species have been used for manufacturing of engineered floorings. Peeled veneers are coated with finishing for making floorings that are stronger, durable and long-lasting. The engineered flooring technology using a new process was developed by Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) to provide another utilisation opportunity for the wood-based industry.

The engineered flooring is an innovation developed for the medium and high-end markets that diversifies utilisation of forest resources, reduces wastage and relieves pressure on the demand for commercial timber species. The flooring boasts of a distinctive grain pattern,

EditorialBoard

AdvisorsDato’ Dr Abdul Latif MohmodDr Mohamed Nor Mohd Yusoff

Technical EditorNorhara Hussein

Editor & WriterIda Suraini Abd Shukor

FRIM in Focus (FIF) is distributed free of charge upon request. We welcome feedback on any of the FIF articles.Address comments and enquiries to:

The Editor & Writer of FRIM In FocusForest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)52109 Kepong, Selangor DE, Malaysia

Telephone : 603-6279 7501 | Facsimile : 603-6273 1076E-mail : idasuraini@frim.gov.my | Website : www.frim.gov.myDesign & Printing : Concept Press Sdn Bhd

ABOUT THE MAIN AUTHORPuad Elham is a senior research offi cer at the Bioenergy Programme of the Forest Products Division, FRIM. He holds both the BSc and MSc degrees from Universiti Putra Malaysia. His expertise is on bioenergy R&D. His articles in

September 2009 was on oil palm plywood, and producing bioethanol, bio-oil and biodiesel from biomass.

Focus article

thus increases the aesthetic and economic values of lesser-known timber besides assisting in the sustainable use of timber resources.

The engineered flooring is also a green product that is safe, cost-effective, and offers superior wear and comfort. The flooring exceeds the standard requirements, is dimensionally stable and able to withstand extremely low humidity conditions.

The lesser-known timber species flooring won the Best Innovation Award during FRIM Innovation Day 2011. The research team was headed by Hashim W Samsi with members including Puad Elham and Jalali Salleh.

Best Innovation Award 2011 team members (second, fourth and fi fth from left), Jalali, Hashim and Puad during FRIM Innovation Day

FLOORING FROM LESSER-KNOWN TIMBERS Puad Elham & Hashim W Samsipuad@frim.gov.my

Cover photos: Flooring from lesser-known timbers (below) and samples of E-PaWV wood (top left) as seen at Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) booth during the Malaysian International Furniture Fair 2012

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IMPROVED PAPER FROM OLD CORRUGATED CARTONS

Recycled papers are important raw material source for the Malaysian paper industry. Ninety-fi ve percent of paper wastes are utilised as the main raw material in as many as 20 paper mills in Malaysia. Amongst the recyclable paper grades, old corrugated cartons have the highest recycling recovery rate of 65% making it the most predominant fi bre source for paper and paperboard production.

Old corrugated cartons however, have lower paper strength compared to virgin pulp. At paper mills, the strength of recycled fi bres is restored by refi ning and blending the fi bres with imported virgin softwood pulp. Nevertheless, refi ning of recycled fi bres slows down the drainage of pulp during paper forming process. Imported virgin pulp is also expensive thus prompting the government to reduce its import.

Although kenaf was identifi ed as one of the potential sources of pulp fi bres for papermaking, little information is available on the utilisation of locally planted kenaf whole stem. As such, Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) conducted an innovative research on utilising kenaf whole stem pulp as opposed to imported virgin pulp as strengthening agent. The research won the Silver Medal during Malaysia Technology Expo (MTE) 2011.

Blending virgin pulp with old corrugated cartons helps improve the strength of the latter. Virgin pulps of recombined kenaf low kappa showed the highest improvement and are comparable to softwood pulp. Beaten low kappa kenaf and recombined high kappa kenaf have the same eff ects on recycled fi bres properties (kappa number is an assessment of how much lignin is present in pulp).

The usage of locally grown kenaf as strengthening material may assist in reducing the industry’s dependence on virgin wood pulp. Virgin softwood pulp can now be substituted with kenaf whole stem pulp with favourable properties thus, reducing the cost of importing fi bres.

Dr Rushdan Ibrahim rushdan@frim.gov.my

ABOUT THE AUTHORDr Rushdan Ibrahim is a Senior Research Offi cer at the Pulp and Paper Programme, FRIM. He obtained his PhD in Paper Science from University of Manchester, UK; MSc in Wood Industrial Technology from Universiti Putra Malaysia and BSc in Forestry from University of Montana, USA. His specialisation is on pulp and paper. He has written articles on making craft paper, recycled paper and moulded products in

September 2009.

Drying kenaf chips for storage prior to pulping

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Focus article

Kenaf plants at a plantation at Jeram Pasu, Kelantan

Kenaf paper samples at the laboratory

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Focus article

Puad Elhampuad@frim.gov.my

Rice straws are agricultural by-products comprising dry stalks of paddy plants and chaff s left behind after harvesting the rice grains. Rice straws are commonly disposed by open burning which inevitably causes air pollution.

Putting rice straw residues to use is often diffi cult due to storage and handling problems, in addition to its low thermal effi ciency output. As such, rice straw pellets or solid fuel making is an attractive solution in producing another source of renewable energy for the future.

Compacted rice straws can be converted into solid fuel pellets which are an alternative to fuel wood. Since rice straws are by-products and available in abundance, this will reduce the cost of fuel pellet manufacturing. Furthermore, by creating a demand for rice straws, their disposal by open burning could be greatly reduced.

By generating the fuel pellets from straws, Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) fulfi lled its two-fold objective of utilising cheap agricultural by-product material and producing high combustion effi ciency pellets. The method of producing higher calorifi c value fuel pellets from rice straw is also possible by using dry rice straw.

Pellets are products of compressed rice straws. The crusher machine produces uniformed mass which is fed to a press that squeezes the mass through holes of a required size. Two types of pelletisers are available namely the ring matrix press and the disc matrix press. The pellets are sized at 6 to 10 mm in diameter with a length of less than 25 mm.

The high pressure press causes the wood temperature to increase greatly, slightly plasticising the lignin to form a natural glue-like substance that holds a single pellet together as it cools. The pellets produced are resistant to mechanical disintegration and are between 1000 and 1200 kg/m3 in density.

In the long run, converting rice straws into pellets may assist in reducing deforestation by providing

a substitute for fuel wood. The pellets which are uniformed in size provide ease of transport and storage and consumers may be assured of their quality.

FUEL PELLETS FROM RICE STRAWS

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1. Rice straw for pellet production2. Rice straw pellets

ABOUT THE AUTHORPuad Elham is a senior research offi cer at the Bioenergy Programme of the Forest Products Division, FRIM. He holds both the BSc and MSc degrees from Universiti Putra Malaysia. His expertise is on bioenergy R&D. His articles in , September 2009 was on oil palm plywood, and producing bioethanol, bio-oil and biodiesel from biomass.

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Up to 162 thousand tonnes of municipal solid wastes are produced daily in Malaysia. Plastic wastes comprise 24% of total wastes generated from a consumption rate of approximately 47 tonnes and a disposal rate of 5% or 2.5 tonnes daily. In addition to municipal wastes, the country also actively generates biomass materials being the world second largest producer of palm oil.

Oil palm empty fruit bunches are produced around the clock and are the most abundant biomass with a total amount of 17.5 million tonnes generated annually. Various options have been considered for this important biomass including conversion into value-added products, alternatives to wood, for pulp and paper and for energy.

In the export market for energy, fuel pellets with a calorifi c value of 17 MJ/kg could fetch a minimal cost of

Focus article

COMPOSITE PELLETS FROM PLASTICS AND OIL PALM RESIDUES Dr Wan Asma Ibrahim, Assoc Prof Dr Zulkafl i Hassan & Joharizal Johariasma@frim.gov.my

ABOUT THE MAIN AUTHORDr Wan Asma Ibrahim is the head of the Bioenergy Programme of the Forest Products Division, FRIM. She obtained her MSc in Chemistry from University of Missouri-Rolla and PhD in Soil Chemistry from Universiti Putra Malaysia. Her area of expertise is on biomass utilisation and she has co-written three articles in September 2009 on bioethanol, bio-oil and biodiesel from biomass materials respectively.

USD100 per tonne. Energy contribution from fuel pellets could be minimised through co-processing it with plastics from municipal solid wastes.

The composite pellets from the combination of plastics wastes and empty fruit bunches were designed to generate energy via recycling of biomass residues. The pellets have better properties namely higher net calorifi c value, better heat retention, longer burning time and cleaner combustion compared to fuel wood.

Besides having a higher energy content of between 27–35 MJ/kg, the composite pellets obtained are high in fi xed carbon and low in ash compared to single component fuel pellets from empty fruit bunches or sawdust. With those favourable properties, composite pellets could be an attractive option for recycling of municipal solid waste plastics and oil palm biomass for renewable energy production.

Municipal solid waste plastics (MSW)

Empty fruit bunches (EFB) fi bres

Composite pellets

Grinding Drying

CompoundingPelletising

QC

6

BUILDING HOUSES USING YOUNG Acacia mangium? Dr Wan Tarmeze Wan Ariffi n tarmeze@frim.gov.my

Using fi ve-year-old A. mangium to build houses? How could it be possible? With density of about 500 kg/m3, stiff ness of below 7000 MPa and strength under 80 MPa, the fi ve-year-old A. mangium is by no means a structural timber, nor to build houses. Timbers of grades 1.0E in North America and C14 in European Union countries which represent the stiff ness of 7000 to 8000 MPa are already considered the lowest grade by the construction industry. As such, how can young timber be made suitable for building houses?

Steam Pressed Scrim Lumber or SPSL is the latest engineered lumber manufacturing technology. The process begins with debarked logs of young (three to fi ve year-old) A. mangium (4 to 6 inches in diameter)

soaked in a hot water bath at 60oC for six hours. After heating, the logs are passed through a roller press that partially crushes them. Further pressing fl attens the log into a loose mat of long inter-connected fi bre strands that is approximately 6.4 mm thick and 2.3 m long. This loose mat is called scrim that is a textile term for loosely woven. The scrim mats are then dried, applied with commercial resin (such as PF that is able to survive b-stage drying diluted to 12% solids content) and re-dried before they are laid up in a mould. The collated scrim mats are then steam-pressed into billets that can be made as huge as 6” x 48” x 48’.

The Acacia mangium scrim lumber, codenamed MYScrim-acacia is the fourth engineered lumber developed by Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) after the MYScrim-OPT (oil palm trunk—patent pending PI20084309), MYScrim-coconut and MYScrim-bambuseae (using crushed and dismantled bamboo sticks—patent pending UI20090513). The MYScrim Flagship Project of FRIM has been collaborating with Timtek LLC (an American-based company that owns the SPSL patent rights worldwide) since January 2009 to develop MYScrim engineered lumbers using local tree species that are abundantly available and can be planted successfully.

The fi rst MYScrim acacia beam, 2” x 12” x 20’ in dimensions, pressed using SPSL facility in Timtek Pilot Plant located in Mississippi State University, has a density of 830 kg/m3 and stiff ness of 11,720 MPa. By virtue, these properties have already enabled MYScrim-acacia to be used as various components in a house structure.

ABOUT THE AUTHORDr Wan Tarmeze completed his PhD in the fi eld of computational engineering with his work on Numerical Analysis of Laminated Bamboo Strip Lumber (LBSL). In July 2007, he invented POPS Lumber (Patent No. MY-144683-A), an engineered lumber made from clipped oil palm trunk veneers that nine months later earned him WIPO Best Inventor award at the Geneva Invention Exposition 2008. He is also leading the R&D task force for MYScrim Flagship Project.

Focus article

1. 20-foot-long MYScrim-acacia beam just coming out from the steam press machine

2. A. mangium logs measuring 4 to 6 inches 3. A young Acacia mangium tree

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Abdul Hamid Saleh, Yanti Abdul Kadir, Dato’ Dr Marzalina Mansor & Khairul Masseathamid@frim.gov.my

1. Ahli-ahli projek E-PaWV dan pengiktirafan yang diterima oleh inovasi tersebut

2. Sampel kerusi daripada teknologi E-PaWV

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kawasan pembuangan sisa batang palma sekali gus mengurangkan penggunaan racun kimia dan membantu mengelakkan pencemaran alam. Inovasi E-PaWV kini telah memasuki fasa pra-komersial berikutan perjanjian yang dimeterai pada 30 Mac 2012 antara FRIM dan Syarikat Sasabina Recreation Industries Sdn Bhd. Produk E-PaWV dengan paten PI2011001900 juga telah diperkenalkan di pameran perabot antarabangsa di Doha Qatar pada 28 April hingga 3 Mei 2012 di samping beberapa lagi pameran tempatan. Produk ini juga telah menerima reaksi positif daripada pelanggan di pameran-pameran tersebut.

Focus article

TENTANG PENULIS UTAMA Abdul Hamid Saleh ialah Ketua Unit Reka Bentuk Perabot, Bahagian Keluaran Hutan, FRIM. Beliau berpengalaman selama 21 tahun dalam bidang penyelidikan. Beliau memperoleh BA dalam bidang Kejuruteraan Reka Bentuk Industri, BSc dalam bidang Teknologi Perabot, MSc dalam bidang bahan mentah dan reka bentuk kayu, dari Universiti Institut Teknologi Malaysia (UiTM). Bidang kepakaran beliau ialah bahan mentah, reka bentuk produk, teknologi perabot, ergonomik dan anthropometrik serta CAD.

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Reka cipta Engineered Palm Wood Venner (E-PaWV) atau venir kayu palma terjurutera dihasilkan menggunakan venir batang pokok palma yang dibentuk mengikut acuan tertentu. Perabot seperti kerusi dan meja yang telah dihasilkan adalah melalui kajian terhadap batang kelapa sawit dan batang kelapa.

Inovasi E-PaWV telah menerima anugerah di pertandingan-pertandingan inovasi seperti International Technology Expo (ITEX) 2012, Pertandingan Festival Sains Negeri Selangor 2010 dan Pertandingan Ideasi, Inovasi dan Design UITM 2010. Reka cipta ini juga turut memenangi Anugerah Penyelidikan Terbaik Institut Penyelidikan Perhutanan Malaysia (FRIM) 2012. Teknologi E-PaWV yang mengaplikasikan tekanan panas dan frekuensi tinggi merupakan satu-satunya teknologi yang mengitar semula bahan mentah daripada sisa batang palma. Perabot daripada kayu palma juga adalah unik kerana menampilkan corak ‘tiger grain’ yang menarik. Di samping itu, perabot kayu palma ini turut diuji di makmal Ujian Perabot FRIM dan telah mencapai standard BS 4875-1:2007 dan BSEN 1022:2005 yang diiktiraf oleh Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA).

Penggunaan secara meluas teknologi ini berupaya mengurangkan aktiviti pembakaran terbuka di

E-PAWV—INOVASI DARIPADA KAYU PALMA

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News article

Sijil Malaysia Book of Records bagi koleksi klon jati yang terbesar di Malaysia (kiri) dan pemandangan di ladang jati di SPF Mata Ayer, Perlis (kanan)

Abdul Latif Mohmod (tengah) dengan sijil diploma serta selempang ‘The Name in Science’

THE NAME IN SCIENCE

‘MALAYSIA BOOK OF RECORDS’

12 Julai 2012, Dublin City Hall, Dublin, Ireland. Ketua Pengarah Institut Penyelidikan Perhutanan (FRIM), Dato’ Dr Abdul Latif Mohmod telah menerima anugerah ‘The Name in Science’ bagi kategori “For Contribution to World Science”. Anugerah tersebut disampaikan bersempena EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF 2012). Pengiktirafan ‘The Name in Science’ ini dianugerahkan kepada komuniti sains, pihak berkuasa, organisasi awam, struktur perniagaan, saintis, ahli politik dan tokoh masyarakat sebagai penghargaan atas sumbangan atau pencapaian cemerlang dalam memartabatkan penyelidikan sains. Pemilihan ini telah dilakukan oleh Jawatankuasa Pencalonan Socrates, The Europe Business Assembly (EBA), Kelab Rektors Eropah (CRE) dan Kelab Pemimpin Antarabangsa (ICL) serta organisasi-organisasi bebas yang menggalakkan pembangunan dan pengurusan ekonomi, sosial dan kerjasama kemanusiaan.

14 Jun 2012, Stesen Penyelidikan Institut Penyelidikan Perhutanan Malaysia (FRIM) Mata Ayer, Perlis. FRIM menerima satu lagi pengiktirafan Malaysia Book of Records bagi koleksi klon jati yang terbesar di Malaysia sempena perasmian infrastruktur kemudahan eko-pelancongan di Stesen Penyelidikan FRIM (SPF) Mata Ayer oleh Raja Perlis DYMM Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Syed Putra Jamalullail.

Bagi menandakan upacara khas ini, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin telah menanam anak pokok Shorea roxburghii (meranti temak nipis) manakala DYTM Tuanku Syed Faizuddin menanam Hopea ferrea (giam malut).

Abdul Latif Mohmod bersama geran hak milik tetap FRIM

4 Julai 2012, Gombak, Selangor. Institut Penyelidikan Perhutanan (FRIM) telah menerima geran hak milik tetap bagi kampusnya yang merangkumi lot-lot 64718, 64710 dan 64704 di bawah Syarat-Syarat Nyata: Penyelidikan dan Pembangunan Sumber dari Pejabat Tanah Gombak.

HARI INI DALAM SEJARAH

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Norhayati Nordin, Ketua Pengurusan Korporat FRIM bersama-sama suratpenghargaan yang diterima oleh FRIM

News article

PENGHARGAAN UNTUK EKOPELANCONGAN

23 Jun 2012, Hotel Awana Porto Malai, Langkawi, Kedah. Institut Penyelidikan Perhutanan (FRIM) telah menerima Anugerah Badan Berkanun bagi Kategori Penyelidikan bagi tahun 2012 daripada Persatuan Badan Berkanun Malaysia (PBBM). Anugerah ini telah disampaikan oleh Tun Dato’ Sri Dr Ahmad Fairuz Dato’ Sheikh Abdul Halim, Pro-Canselor Universiti Utara Malaysia kepada Ketua Pengarah FRIM, Dato’ Dr Abdul Latif Mohmod sempena Mesyuarat Agung Persatuan Badan Berkanun Malaysia ke-29.

ANUGERAH PERSATUAN BADAN BERKANUN MALAYSIA 2012

Piala Penghargaan Keahlian Melebihi 20 tahun (kiri) serta Anugerah Badan Berkanun (kanan) yang diterima oleh FRIM

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TECHNICAL SERVICES PULP AND PAPER

Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) provides consultancy, technical services and conducts courses on pulp and paper technology. FRIM possess expertise in:

1. Establishing chemical properties of wood and non-wood bio-resources for cellulose, hemicellulose lignin and extractives

2. Pulping processes including mechanical, chemical, chemi-mechanical and bio-pulping

3. Paper bleaching processes including conventional, elementary chlorine-free (EFC) and bio-bleaching

4. Papermaking for circular shaped papers, square-shaped papers and handmade craft papers

5. Paper testing for physical, mechanical and optical properties

Further enquiries contact:Dr Rushdan Ibrahim / Mahmudin Saleh / Zaitun SaidTelephone: 603-6279 7314 / 7316 / 7293Fax: 603-6280 4620E-mail: rushdan@frim.gov.my / mahmudin@frim.gov.my / zaitun@frim.gov.my

Craft papers from banana stem, pineapple leaf and rice straw

8 Julai 2012, Hotel De Palma, Shah Alam. Institut Penyelidikan Perhutanan (FRIM) telah menerima surat penghargaan untuk ekopelancongan dalam Majlis Appresiasi Pelancongan Selangor 2012 yang telah dirasmikan oleh Menteri Besar Selangor, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

Majlis anjuran bersama Jawatankuasa Pelancongan Negeri Selangor dan Tourism Selangor Sdn Bhd ini bertujuan menghargai pihak-pihak yang banyak membantu perkembangan industri pelancongan Selangor.

Panel penilai bagi anugerah tersebut terdiri daripada Kerajaan Negeri Selangor, Persatuan Pelancongan dan Pengembaraan Malaysia (MATTA), Pihak Berkuasa Tempatan (PBT), Tourism Malaysia dan Tourism Selangor.

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Heosemys spinosa—A DURIAN- LIKE TURTLE

Malaysia is popularly known as one of the rich biodiversity countries both for its fl ora and fauna. Of these, there are certain species that are endemic to Malaysia or having a unique feature, for instance the grotesque looking long- nosed orang Belanda or commonly known as the proboscis monkey, Nasalis larvatus. In addition to unique mammals there is a turtle species with conspicuous spines on its shell which appears like the local durian, known as the spiny hill turtle.

The spiny hill turtle can be easily recognised by the spiny protrusions on its shell. These spines are clearly seen during the juvenile stage and as the turtle grows the marginal spines disappear leaving serrations confi ned to the front and back parts of the shell. Spines of young turtles will also turn brown as the reptile grows older. Other features of this reptile are their limbs which are grayish brown with an occasional yellow spot behind the eye. The adult weighs from 1.5–2.0 kg.

This turtle is commonly found both at lowland and hill forests. It prefers clear rainforest streams at altitudes from 170 up to 100 m where it frequently

wanders on cool, humid, and shaded grounds. It often hides under plant debris or clumps of grass. Young spiny hill turtles may be more terrestrial than adults. The spiny hill turtle can be found from the southern Myanmar through Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore to the islands of Sumatra, Borneo and the Natunas (in Indonesia), to the Sulu Archipelago and Mindanao (in the Philippines). Indigenous people of West Malaysia have been known to eat the fl esh of this species. The species is endangered because of deforestation in addition to being collected for pet. This species should be protected. It should not be taken as pet or eaten by exotic food lovers.

Photos: Mohd Hairul Mohd Amin

Mohammad Shahfi z Azman shahfi z@frim.gov.my

ABOUT THE AUTHORMohammad Shahfi z Azman is the Head of Zoology Branch, Forest Biodiversity Division, FRIM. His area of expertise is in small mammals where he has written several articles about the common tree shrew, squirrel and mammals at Mata Ayer FRIM Research Station in December 2010 and September 2011 respectively.

Biodiversity article

Young turtle is usually found on forest fl oor

Mistaken for a durian but ‘the fruit’ is actually a turtle

The spiny hill turtle found during one of the writer’s trekking journeys

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Peter Frederick Burgess passed away in England on 9 January 2012 at the age of 87 years. He was the last of the British colonial foresters who had served in what was then British Malaya.

Burgess obtained his BSc (Forestry) degree in Wales and his Diploma in Forestry in Oxford University. He was appointed Probationary Assistant Conservator of Forests in Malaya in 1946, just after the restoration of British rule following the Japanese Surrender. He was posted as District Forest Offi cer (DFO) to Johore South (Johore Bahru) in 1949, followed by Johore North (Kluang) in 1950, and Ulu Kelantan (Kuala Krai) from 1951 to 1953. After taking home leave, he returned to Ulu Kelantan and served from 1955 to June 1956 when he was transferred to British North Borneo (now Sabah). In British North Borneo, Burgess was Deputy Conservator of Forests from 1956 until he retired in 1965.

Burgess published three articles in the Malayan Forester in which he vividly described some of his Malayan experiences. Jungle and river (Malayan Forester 9, 1947) gives his impressions of the Krau Game Reserve in Pahang. Monsoon and bandits (Malayan Forester 13, 1950) describes a forest expedition with an armed police escort in Johore during the Malayan Emergency when Communist guerrillas were at war with the Government. Some elephant and tiger shooting experiences (Malayan Forester 17, 1954) describes his experiences as a big game hunter. In one episode he almost died from a savage attack by hornets just after he had shot an elephant. After running for his life with the hornets

chasing him, he stumbled into an estate where the clinic attendants removed 50 stings from his face and neck. He was sick for days afterwards.

After 1965, Burgess was Forestry Offi cer of Norfolk County Council in England. He then returned to Malaysia and served six years in the Forest Research Institute (FRI) Kepong under the Colombo Plan Development Programme from 1967 to 1973 as a silviculturist for hill forests. This resulted in FRI Research Pamphlet No 66 (1975): “Silviculture in the Hill Forests of the Malay Peninsula”.

Burgess was Manager of the Bt Ibam logging and sawmilling operation from 1977 to 1980. Other consultancies took him to Iran, Philippines and Indonesia. Between overseas assignments he managed his apple farm in Suff olk.

Those who knew him remember Peter Burgess as a soft-spoken and ever-helpful gentleman. He leaves behind his wife Anna and three daughters, to whom we extend our thanks for Peter’s sterling services to tropical forestry and to Malaysia.

Forestry article

Dr Francis SP Ngfrancisng@frim.gov.my

ABOUT THE AUTHORDr Francis Ng joined FRIM in 1964 as Forest Botanist and retired in 1990 as its Deputy Director-General. He got to know Peter Burgess when Peter was attached to FRIM as Hill Silviculturist.

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PETER BURGESS LAST OF THE COLONIAL FORESTERS OF MALAYSIA

The 1978 photograph reproduced here shows Peter Burgess (left) with the late John Wyatt-Smith (right) who was himself an outstanding personality in Malayan forestry

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INFORMAL TRADE: LOOKING BEYOND THE TREES

ISSUE

Informal and regional timber trades are commonly understood and primarily viewed as domestic trade. The development of these informal and regional trades is not only fueled by factors such as the dynamics of economic growth and local livelihoods, and the globalisation and increasing interdependence of economies, but also the weakening of the states, and institutions in the less developed countries. There are increasing indications and analyses, showing the growth and the extent of the informal trades beyond national borders, either for chainsaw milled (primary) or processed timbers

Regional informal timber trades in Asia (Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and South China) and in Africa (Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Sudan and Ghana) are becoming abundant refl ecting similar developments as in agricultural products.

PROBLEM/ OPPORTUNITY

Increasing attention on unregulated forest products trades appears to be parallel to the increasing concerns on the sustainability of the timber resources. Conversely many international dialogues on forest resources sustainability, as well as local livelihoods

EAS Strategic Options

and trade address the issues in state and formal institutional levels. The numerous protocols and actions such as Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT), Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) and Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) either ignore the growth of these informal and undocumented regional timber trade, or categorise them as illegal timber trade and institutional reinforcement issues.

Nevertheless, as indicated by the growing literature on these markets, the regional informal trades are mostly not caused by crime or corrupted governments, but are the result of traditional network trades tackling the local livelihoods. Traditions, ethnic networks and small units of transportation and transformation are the only weapons assisting local people in less developed and remote areas. The ethnic networks of Haoussa, Bamileke and Aladji traders in Africa, or Bugis, Indian and Chinese traders in Asia are legal when they trade onions and vegetables, but are deemed illegal when they trade timber. Why do onion and cassava informal trades deserve incentives and training, while informal timber trade generates trade barriers?

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EAS Strategic Options

The two problems here are the perspective we use, and how to tackle development in remote areas. REDD, CDM and FLEGT contain elements of local development and poverty eradication. But consider the cost of organising a FLEGT conference in Kuala Lumpur, including accommodation, air travel and salaries of participants which are equivalent to building a kampung school in Sabah or Sarawak and the salary of teachers for up to two years of service. The issue here is not the reallocation of resources or the replacement of conferences but rather is the readjustment of the perspective.

OPTIONS

Beyond the trees which are seen as the short-term conferences and actions, lies the forest which are the long-term commitment comprising small actions of high impact. Given training and education, it is not impossible that people of less developed and remote areas who today are the main proponents of informal timber trades would change their ways.They would still trade timber but preferably in a more sustainable way thus able to link between trade and the environmental impacts. Actions have to start at the kampung schools and the commitment has to be consistent. The results of such actions only unfold from 15 to 20 years later. Steady eff orts are required from the policy makers to continue the actions. However committed, educated and responsible players are those that will be able to tackle the delicate balance between the local livelihood and trade gains, and the sustainability issues that the society owes to its environment.

FURTHER INFORMATIONPLEASE CONTACT:

ECONOMIC AND STRATEGIC ANALYSIS PROGRAMME (EAS)

Jean-Marc Roda (PhD)Ismariah Ahmad (PhD)Noor Aini Zakaria (PhD)

Innovation & Commercialization Division,Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM),52109 Kepong, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Tel : +603 6279 7544 / 7541 / 7714 / 7549Fax : +603 6275 0925Email : frim_eas@frim.gov.myWebsite : http://www.frim.gov.my

Measuring timber prior to delivery

Computer education for the Orang Asli

Auditor at the check point

Photos: Zamri Mohamad Nor & Azharizan Mohamad Norizan

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Unit Kesenian dan Kebudayaan (PESENI) di bawah Kelab Institut Penyelidikan Perhutanan Malaysia (FRIM) bergiat aktif antara lainnya dalam aktiviti kemasyarakatan. Pada 29 Jun hingga 2 Julai 2012 seramai 31 ahli PESENI FRIM dengan kerjasama Jawatankuasa Latihan FRIM telah mengadakan program tanggungjawab sosial (CSR) di Sekolah Kebangsaan Muzaff ar Syah, Felda Air Tawar, Kota Tinggi, Johor. Program ini memberi peluang kepada peserta untuk melaksanakan kerja-kerja amal selain memperkenalkan FRIM kepada pelajar-pelajar sekolah serta penduduk negeri Johor. PESENI FRIM telah menerima sumbangan sebanyak 50 batang pokok kelat paya dan herba bagi membangunkan Taman Sainsnya daripada Biotropics (M) Sdn Bhd dan Unit Nurseri FRIM. Selesai menanam pokok pelajar-pelajar sekolah tersebut telah mempersembahkan tarian piring kepada ahli-ahli PESENI.

PESENI TURUN PADANG DI JOHORNurhajarul Hasni Md Ismailnurhajarul@frim.gov.my

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Peserta berganding bahu menjayakan Program CSR

Penyerahan papan tanda kepada wakil Sekolah Kebangsaan Muzaff ar Syah

kami dibawa menjejaki penyu yang banyak terdapat di Turtle Point. Jeritan “Terjun! Terjun!” menandakan penyu telah ditemui dan peserta perlu terjun dengan pantas untuk melihat haiwan tersebut pada jarak dekat. Di Shark Point pula kami teruja menyaksikan ikan jerung yang panjangnya lebih kurang satu meter.

Pada sebelah malamnya kami makan malam secara barbeku bagi menandakan tamatnya aktiviti eksplorasi ini. Keesokan harinya, kami meneruskan perjalanan ke Tumpat, Kelantan untuk melawat kawasan penanaman

bakau di Delta Kelantan. Setelah mendengar taklimat oleh Pegawai Jabatan Perhutanan Negeri Kelantan di Pusat Biodiversiti Tanjung Kuala, kami menaiki bot untuk melihat secara lebih dekat pokok-pokok bakau yang hidup subur di kawasan yang juga menjadi habitat utama tiga spesies burung iaitu mangrove pitta, mangrove blue fl ycatcher dan greater golden-backed woodpecker.

Dari Tumpat kami dibawa pula ke Wakaf Che Yeh, salah sebuah tarikan membeli-belah bagi pelancong di negeri Che Siti Wan Kembang. Perniagaan di sini berkonsepkan pasar malam yang dibuka sehingga pagi. Penginapan kami di sini adalah secara inap desa.

Pada hari terakhir iaitu pada 5 Jun 2012, kami membeli-belah di Rantau Panjang sebelum bertolak ke Stesen Penyelidikan FRIM (SPF), Jeli. Di Jeli kami disambut oleh Emlee Mohamad Taib, pengurus SPFJeli yang membawa kami melawat kawasan stesen yang ditubuhkan pada 2008. Di samping penyelidikan, stesen yang terletak di Mukim Belimbing, daerah Batu Melintang,

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Peserta dibawa melawat sekitar Stesen Penyelidikan FRIM Jeli

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jajahan Jeli ini juga berpotensi menjadi salah sebuah pusat pelancongan yang menarik dengan air terjun yang indah, sumber air bawah tanah serta dirian pokok, antaranya durian, buluh dan eucalyptus.

Dari Jeli kami meneruskan perjalanan melalui Grik dan singgah di R&R Banjaran yakni puncak tertinggi di banjaran Titiwangsa yang dingin udaranya berserta kabus menyeliputi pemandangan. Syukur Alhamdulillah, akhirnya kami selamat tiba di FRIM lebih kurang pukul 10 malam dengan membawa pelbagai cenderahati termasuklah seribu pengalaman, pengetahuan serta kenangan indah yang sukar dilupakan.

Gambar: Mohd Parid Mamat

dan Perancangan Penyelidikan dan Korporat) dengan 64 mata, naib johan disandang oleh Zon C/merah (Bahagian Pentadbiran, Kewangan, dan Komersialisasi dan Inovasi) dengan 54 mata, diikuti oleh Zon A/hijau (Bahagian Perhutanan dan Perkhidmatan Teknikal) di tempat ketiga dengan 43 mata dan Zon B/biru (Bahagian Bioteknologi Perhutanan, Unit-unit dan Pejabat-pejabat Ketua Pengarah dan Timbalan Ketua Pengarah,dan Sumber Manusia) di tempat keempat dengan 41 mata.

Turut mendapat hadiah ialah Mohamad Faizal Sharuddin dari Bahagian Hasilan Semula Jadi yang memenangi hadiah utama cabutan bertuah iaitu sebuah televisyen LCD. Penulis mewakili pihak penganjur ingin mengucapkan sekalung penghargaan kepada Koperasi FRIM (KoFRIM) dan Tabung Pegawai FRIM (FOF) yang telah menaja hadiah-hadiah cabutan dan tidak lupa juga kepada warga FRIM yang telah menjayakan sukan rakyat FRIM 2012. InsyaAllah tahun hadapan kita bersukan lagi!

Foto: Kamal Ariffi n Ismail

SUKAN RAKYAT FRIM MERIAH!

Bahang terik mentari pada petang 22 Jun tidak menghalang para peserta dan penyokong Sukan Rakyat Institut Penyelidikan Perhutanan (FRIM) 2012 daripada berkumpul di padang bola FRIM. Suasana hiruk-pikuk namun ceria menyaksikan ada yang hadir dengan berkain pelikat, berkain batik dan berbaju kelawar bagi memeriahkan acara kejohanan sukan rakyat kali ini.

Semangat zon semua yang hadir berkobar-kobar dan masing-masing tidak sabar lagi untuk memulakan acara dwitahunan ini. Sepuluh acara telah dipertandingkan iaitu memanah, bola jaring, sepak raga bulatan, dart, boling padang, congkak, batu seremban dan termasuk tiga acara baru yang diperkenalkan iaitu bola katok (rounders), baling selipar dan tarik traktor. Perasmian majlis telah disempurnakan oleh Yang di-Pertua Kelab FRIM, Dato’ Dr Abdul Latif Mohmod yang disusuli oleh acara cabutan bertuah. Saban tahun aktiviti sukan rakyat ini sering mendapat sambutan hangat di kalangan warga FRIM.

Pemain mahupun penyokong sama-sama berusaha keras untuk kemenangan zon masing-masing. Suasana tersebut turut menyerlahkan lagi semangat kesukanan dan kerjasama erat di kalangan ahli-ahli zon. Namun, adat bertanding ada yang kalah dan ada yang menang. Sukan rakyat tahun ini telah diungguli oleh Zon D/oren (Bahagian Keluaran Hutan, Hasilan Semula Jadi

Huda Farhana Mohamad Muslim & Nadiah Salmi Nazri hudafarhana@frim.gov.my

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1. Pemain bola jaring lelaki terpaksa berkain pelikat namun masih mampu beraksi tangkas

2. Siapa kata lelaki tidak mahir bermain batu seremban

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XPLORASI PERHENTIAN 2012 — MENYERONOKKAN

serta latar belakang Taman Laut yang dikatakan mempunyai 149 spesies terumbu karang.

Atur cara aktiviti yang padat menanti kami pada hari ketiga iaitu aktiviti merentas hutan pantai, memerhati burung serta gotong-royong membersih pantai. Mohd Zain Mazlan mengetuai aktiviti ini selepas taklimat diberikan tentang etika merentas hutan, teknik penggunaan binokular dan panduan memerhati burung dan pembahagian plastik sampah di kalangan peserta. Tiga orang peserta yang mengutip sampah paling banyak telah diberikan hadiah kemeja-t bola sepak sumbangan Unit KANCIL.

Pada sebelah petangnya kami dibawa menjalani aktiviti air yang sekian lama ditunggu-tunggu iaitu snorkeling. Terdahulu, seorang jurulatih bertauliah menunjuk ajar teknik penggunaan jaket keselamatan dan peralatan snorkeling serta memimpin kami menjalani latihan water confi dent sebelum dibawa ke beberapa tempat popular bagi aktiviti snorkeling. Di KK Point dan Bay Point kami berpeluang memerhati terumbu karang yang berukir indah malah bagi yang bertuah pula, dapat menyaksikan clown fi sh yang berenang-renang di celah-celah lambaian sang anemone. Seterusnya,

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Peserta Xplorasi Perhentian 2012 bergambar kenangan sebelum bertolak ke jeti Kuala Besut

Bergambar dahulu sebelum menjalani aktiviti snorkeling di salah satu kawasan popular bagi aktiviti tersebut di sekitar Pulau Perhentian

Perjalananan seramai 47 orang peserta Xplorasi Perhentian 2012 bermula pada malam 1 Jun 2012 di Institut Penyelidikan Perhutanan Malaysia (FRIM) dan tiba di jeti Kuala Besut, Terengganu pada pukul 9 pagi keesokan harinya. Penerokaan ke Pulau Perhentian ini dianjurkan oleh Unit Rekreasi Luar (KANCIL), Kelab FRIM dengan kerjasama Jawatankuasa Latihan FRIM dan disertai oleh penjawat awam FRIM berserta keluarga masing-masing. Perjalanan bot dari jeti yang memakan masa kurang dari sejam telah membawa kami ke pantai Coral View Resort di Pulau Perhentian Besar.

Pulau Perhentian merupakan sebuah pulau dalam Gugusan Pulau Redang yang terkenal dengan kawasan terumbu karangnya yang luas serta indah. Aktiviti kami bermula dengan sesi suai kenal setelah selesai urusan pendaftaran penginapan oleh ketua eksplorasi, Mohd Parid Mamat. Kami seterusnya dibawa menaiki bot ke Pusat Taman Laut Pulau Perhentian dan diberikan taklimat oleh pegawai Jabatan Taman Laut tentang aktiviti-aktiviti yang dibenarkan dan yang dilarang di perairan taman laut, etika di terumbu karang, sejarah

Peserta mendengar taklimat ringkas sebelum menjalani aktiviti memerhati burung dan merentas hutan pantai