logging encroachment without residents’ consent into Ba
Oleh, Upper Baram, Sarawak
(Photo/Supplied)
In the Upper
Baram region of Sarawak, Malaysia, a large-scale logging
operation continues despite widespread complaints from
Indigenous communities. Meanwhile, the timber company
abandons a 30-door longhouse construction in Ba Data Bila
that was promised as a compensation for the affected
communities
Controversial logging operations
carried out by Borneoland Timber Resources Sdn. Bhd.
(“Borneoland”) in Sarawak’s Upper Baram continue
despite mounting public criticism and a
well-documented report highlighting concerns over the
concession, including alleged environmental and human rights
violations.
In a recent statement,
Sarawak Forest Department Director Mohammad Hamden confirmed
that Indigenous communities in the Upper Baram are
frustrated with the concession. Yet, to date, the
authorities have failed to adequately address their concerns
or take meaningful action to resolve the
situation.
Meanwhile, in an embarrassing development
for the Sarawak government, Borneoland abandoned a 30-door
longhouse construction in Ba Data Bila mid-way after logging
activities moved to another area. In March
2025, Deputy Minister in Sarawak Premier’s Department
Datuk Gerawat Gala had conducted the groundbreaking
ceremony, promising the Penan community that the new
longhouse will improve living conditions of the local
community.
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Borneoland had committed to building a
30-door-longhouse for villagers in Ba Data Bila as part of a
compensation agreement. However, construction works have
been stopped midway, and the longhouse remains unfinished
and empty. According to local sources, the company failed to
pay the Indonesian workers hired for the project, prompting
them to return home. As a result, the longhouse remains
incomplete. It appears that Borneoland lost interest in
keeping their promise after logging activities moved to a
different village.
Borneoland’s logging operations
have been ongoing since 2024, threatening some of
Sarawak’s last remaining primary rainforests outside
totally protected areas. Indigenous communities have spent
more than a decade working to establish the Baram Peace Park
in the area, an Indigenous-led conservation initiative aimed
at protecting the region’s forests, biodiversity, and
Indigenous
livelihoods.
