Avoid grandiose announcement if you can't provide proof, says activist on claim 2 million acres restored

Borneo Herald

11.45AM MYT, 5-9-2026

By Jayden Lisandu

KOTA KINABALU : A well-known activist has called on the GRS Sabah Government to avoid making grandiose announcement on "restored" 830,000 hectares of forest if it can't provide details of what and how the forest was 'restored'.

"Please show Sabahans the maps, satellite images, the money and the results of the so-called sustainable forest management programme," said Daniel John Jambun in a statement here today.

Daniel who is President of Borneo’s Plight in Malaysia Foundation (BoPiMaFo), said everyone welcomes genuine effort to restore Sabah’s degraded forests and protect our natural heritage but people need sufficient evidences for such big claim.

On September 4, 2026, it was reported that Sabah had restored approximately 830,000 hectares or approximately 2.05 million acres of degraded forest under the programme.

"If the claim is true, it would be worthy of international recognition. But first we Sabahans are entitled to ask where is the evidence and what exactly does "restored" mean..." Daniel said.

"Tell us about the silvicultural treatment, natural regeneration, which 830,000 hectares?, the locations, when did restoration begin?, what tree species were planted? and how many seedlings were planted?

"What was their survival rate? What was the condition of these forests before rehabilitation?What measurable ecological improvement has occurred since?

"And, most importantly who indepedently verified that 830,000 hectares have been successfully restored," he added.#~Borneo Herald™