This is to inform all stakeholders that a 12-member Technical Working Group (TWG) comprising representatives from multi-stakeholder groups, i.e. environmental, social, economic and relevant government agencies, nominated during respective regional consultations in Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia, have been formed to develop a standard for the certification of forest plantations, i.e. the Malaysian Criteria and Indicators for Forest Management Certification (Forest Plantations) or in short MC&I(Forest Plantations). 

The need to develop a standard for the certification of forest plantations in Malaysia was deliberated at the various meetings of the multi-stakeholder National Steering Committee (NSC) including the convening of a National Workshop on Standard for Certification of Plantation Forests.  This led to the decision to form a special TWG to undertake the task of developing the standard.  This is in view of the growing importance of forest plantations as a source of logs, and in providing raw materials to the furniture, medium density fibreboard (MDF) and moulding sectors in Malaysia, as well as the fact some of these products have been exported to socially and environmentally sensitive markets where certification is increasingly demanded.

The 12-member TWG held its meeting on 5-6 July 2006. For more information related to the development of the MC&I(Forest Plantations), all stakeholders are requested to contact the Members of the TWG from their respective regions or the NSC Secretariat. Contact details of the Members of the TWG and the NSC Secretariat are as shown in Table 1 while the proposed schedule of implementation of activities of the TWG is as shown in Table 2.

Table 1: Contact Details of Members of TWG and NSC Secretariat

Stakeholder Group	Sabah	Sarawak	Peninsular Malaysia
Social	Dr. Benedict Topin Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA) Pejabat Koissan Hangkod Koissan 7 Km Jln Penampang W.D.T 39 89509 Penampang Tel: 088-713690 Fax: 088-713350 Email: bovis@asia.com	Ding Seling Orang Ulu National Association (OUNA) No10, Lot 715 Jalan Wui Lee Off Jalan Datuk Tawi Sli’ 93250 KUCHING Fax: 082-575660 Email: ding_seling@yahoo.com	Mohd Khalid Atan Timber Employees Union Peninsular Malaysia (TEUPM) No. 10A, Tingkat Satu, Jalan AU 5C/14, Ulu Kelang, Ampang, 54200 KUALA LUMPUR Tel: 03-4107 3594 Fax: 03-4107 8180 Email: teupmgs@tm.net.my
Environmental	Linda E Giyung WWF Malaysia (Sabah Branch) Suite 1-6-W11, 6th Floor, CPS tower Centre Point Complex No. 1, Jalan Centre Point 88000 Kota Kinabalu P. O. Box 14393 88850 Kota Kinabalu Tel: 088-262 420 Fax: 088-242 531 Email: lgiyung@wwf.org.my	Rebecca D’ Cruz MNS – Sarawak Branch c/o Aonyx Environmental 18, Jalan Urat Mata Tabuan Jaya 93350 KUCHING Tel: 082-428 004 Fax: 082-424 084 Email: aonyx@po.jaring.my	Sanath Kumaran Wetlands International – Malaysia’s Office 3A37, Kelana Centre Point, Kelana Jaya, No. 3, Jalan SS 7/19, 47300 PETALING JAYA. Tel: 03-7804 6770 Fax: 03-7804 6772 Email: sanath@wetlands.org.my
Economic	Mohd Daud Tampokong Innoprise Corporation Sdn Bhd (Yayasan Sabah) Tingkat 9, Wisma Innoprise Teluk Likas Peti Surat 11623 88817 Kota Kinabalu Tel: 088-326 300 Fax: 088-243 244 Email: daudtampokong@gmail.com	Barney Chan Sarawak Timber Association (STA) 11th Floor, Wisma STA, No. 26, Jalan Datuk Abang Abdul Rahim, 93450 KUCHING Tel: 082-332 222 Fax: 082-487 888 Email: sta@sta.org.my              belachan@aol.com	Dr. Chin Tuck Yuan Mieco Wood Products Sdn. Bhd. Lot 74, Kawasan Perindustrian Gebeng, 26080 Kuantan, Pahang Tel: 09-583 5120 Fax: 09-583 3408 Email: dc@mieco.com.my
Relevant Government Agency	Jeflus Sinajin Sabah Forestry Department Locked Beg No. 68 90009 Sandakan Tel: 089-669 652 ext(428) Fax: 089-671 713 Email: Jeflus.Sinajin@Sabah.gov.my	Elbson Marajan Sustainable Forestry and Compliance Unit Sarawak Forestry Corporation Sdn Bhd (SFC) Level 12, Office Tower Hock Lee Centre Jalan Datuk Abang Abdul Rahim 93450 KUCHING Tel: 082-348 001 Fax: 082-488 654 Email: elbsonmp@sarawakforestry.com	Tuan Haji Zulkefli bin Haji Mokhtar Forestry Department Peninsular Malaysia (FDPM) Jalan Sultan Salahuddin 50660 KUALA LUMPUR Tel: 03-2616 4567 Fax: 03-2692 5657 Email:  zulkefli@forestry.gov.my
NSC Secretariat	NSC Secretariat c/o Malaysian Timber Certification Council 19F, Level 19, Menara PGRM, No. 8, Jalan Pudu Ulu, Cheras, 56100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Tel: 603-9200 5008                                Fax: 603-9200 6008                                Email: mtcc@tm.net.my

Table 2: Proposed Schedule of Implementation of Activities of TWG

No.	Activity	Date
1.	Formation of TWG	February 2006
2.	Preparation of a Working Document on draft Malaysian Criteria and Indicators for Forest Management Certification (Forest Plantations) [MC&I(Forest Plantations)] by appointed consultant	March-April 2006
3.	Expert Group Meeting to discuss Working Document prepared by Consultant	25 May 2006
3.	First meeting of TWG to initiate preparation of 1st draft of MC&I(Forest Plantations)	5-6 July 2006
4.	Second meeting of TWG to finalise 1st draft of MC&I(Forest Plantations)	3 August 2006
5.	Regional Consultations on 1st draft of MC&I(Forest Plantations) [Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia]	August to September 2006
6.	Third meeting of TWG to consider feedback from regional consultations and prepare 2nd draft	17 October 2006
7.	2nd draft of MC&I(Forest Plantations) placed on website for public comments	November 2006
8.	National Consultation to adopt final draft of MC&I(Forest Plantations)	January 2007
9.	Field testing of MC&I(Forest Plantations)	February 2007
10.	Fourth meeting of TWG to finalise MC&I(Forest Plantations)	March 2007
11.	Adoption of MC&I(Forest Plantations) by NSC	April 2007