Kota kinabalu: The Sabah state assembly has approved the Forest Enactment (Amendment) Bill 2025, which will degazette 16,728.9 hectares of forest reserve in the state to facilitate socioeconomic development, as announced by Assistant Minister to Sabah Chief Minister, Datuk Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the bill impacts several forests, including 15,978 hectares of the Sipitang Forest Reserve (Class II), 320.9 hectares of Safoda Kinarut (Class IV), and smaller areas across other reserves such as Sungai Tiagau, Bengkoka Peninsula, and Trus Madi. The bill was passed by a majority voice vote following debates by seven assemblymen.

Nizam highlighted that the initiative aims to accommodate 12,012 residents from 40 existing villages located in districts such as Sipitang, Tenom, and Tawau. Additionally, it supports the construction of the Serudong-Simanggaris Immigration, Customs, Quarantine, and Security Complex.

The government has pledged to identify suitable government land to convert into forest reserves equal in size to the areas being degazetted. This step, Nizam assured, would result in only a minimal reduction of 0.47 percent in the total forest reserves of Sabah, which currently stands at 3.55 million hectares.

Nizam emphasized that the decision to degazette these areas was made with careful consideration of the welfare of Sabah’s rural residents, who are in need of land for settlements and livelihoods. He noted that a detailed selection process and firm justifications were crucial in reaching this decision.

The Sabah government is also working towards gazetting several existing forest areas and government land as protected areas under Section 5A of the Forest Enactment 1968.