Under their own law, the timber companies are thieves. This is the land of our forefathers and their forefathers before them. We have every right to defend our land, says one elderly Penan. Since 1985 the Penan have been begging the Government to protect their forests. They have been met by a stone wall.
Timber is the second largest source of revenue in the state of Sarawak.
In 1985 Sarawak alone produced 39 per cent of Malaysia s logs. Locked in the Penan s forests are billions of dollars worth of hard cash, waiting to swell the profits of the timber traders and fill the coffers of the state. Though most of the logging companies are locally owned, the export trade is controlled by big foreign companies, mainly Japanese, and most trees end up in rich countries. There, amongst other things, they are made into disposable chopsticks. The time is 3.45 pm precisely.