Issues of forest enforcement against illegal logging and forest offences in Peninsular Malaysia
2021
Rokiah Kadir | Muhammad Nur Haniff Mohd Noor | Suriyani Muhamad
One of the more prevalent environmental issues in the world is illegal logging. Common outcomes associated with illegal logging, particularly in the states with rich forest resources, are environmental damage and loss of government revenue. Illegal logging and other forest offences can be curbed through internal regulatory measures, namely forest law enforcement. However, as past research has indicated, forest law enforcement may be hindered by issues and difficulties related to enforcement capacity. Analysis of these difficulties and challenges is needed to identify the loopholes and vulnerabilities in current enforcement practices. This study, therefore, aims to examine issues on enforcement capacity as perceived by the staff of enforcement agencies. A total of 240 frontline regulatory personnel from selected states in Peninsular Malaysia were administered a questionnaire. A small number of the respondents were later interviewed about the issues for additional insights. The data were analysed through the SPSS to examine the research question. The measures of central tendency revealed that some of the main challenges in relation to enforcement capacity of forest enforcement agencies include insufficient enforcement staff, lack of funding and insufficient equipment. The outcome of the study may increase awareness of policymakers regarding issues that affect forest law enforcement and help them formulate appropriate policy responses.
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