Malaysia Stands Apart
Since 1901, when the first Forest Officer was appointed, Malaysia has stood apart from all other prominent suppliers of tropical forest products in both planning and practice:
- The Forest Enactment and Rules, 1930
- The Interim Forest Policy, 1952
- The National Forestry Policy, 1978
- The National Forestry Act, 1984
- Malaysian Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management, 1999
Today, Malaysia operates the world’s first, and largest certification program for tropical forests.
Malaysia is also party to 15 international environmental agreements and is an active partner in the World Summit on Sustainable Development, the Kyoto Negotiations and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
As the market for imported hardwood decking and applied products has grown, so has our investment in our people and facilities. Today, we believe that the most important issue facing our business, and facing the world trade in forest products is the ethical, sustainable, verifiable management of our forests.
In 1988, the Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC) was established to develop and operate a credible, affordable certification program for Malaysian forest products. MTCC provides us and our customers an opportunity to verify where, and under what conditions our products originate.
Today, this program is endorsed by, and operates under the global umbrella of The Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). Blue Star is proud to be 100% certified by the MTCC.
“In Malaysia, the national forest program is part of the national sustainable development strategy, as well as an integral component of the national integrated land management strategy” Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Country Report for the World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg, 2002
“Since 1983, I have been directly involved with timber businesses in The Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil, Chile, and New Zealand. Only in Malaysia have I found a suitable measure of reliability and responsibility in the areas of tropical forest management and resource-based economic development. Malaysia does not suffer the social, political, or economic ills that trouble other tropical producers. In 1992, we turned our full attention to our partnership in Malaysia, where we can be assured our business meets the ethical, environmental and performance standards that we and our customers demand.”
Mike Moscoe,
President, International Market Strategies, Inc.