Director of Forests cancels Osaka Metropolitan University talk to avoid answering questions over deforestation – as Sarawak Premier receives Japan’s top honour for “environmental leadership”
Osaka, Japan – 12 November 2025 – At a press conference in Osaka today, Indigenous representatives from Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo, condemned Japan’s ongoing support for forest projects linked to deforestation and Indigenous rights violations in Sarawak.
SAVE Rivers director Celine Lim and Penan representative Lerroy Lemen had travelled from Sarawak to Japan to attend an academic seminar where they intended to meet with Sarawak’s Forest Department Director and question him about a controversial timber license issued to Borneoland Timber Resources. The Malaysian company is currently destroying the last primary rainforests of Sarawak outside its totally protected areas.
The seminar was abruptly cancelled the night before under the false pretense that Sarawak’s Director of Forests, Hamden Mohamad, had not been able to travel to Japan. However, it has been confirmed that Hamden was indeed at Osaka Metropolitan University for talks and has been seen at university premises yesterday.
“We came all this way to meet with the Forest Department Director, but the event was called off at the last minute,” said Lerroy Lemen. “It’s a kick in the teeth – and it reflects what always happens in Sarawak, where the halls of power are closed to grassroots stakeholders.”
The press conference also coincided with Sarawak Premier Abang Johari’s visit to Japan to receive the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star from the Japanese government, partly in recognition of his alleged environmental I efforts.
SAVE Rivers director Celine Lim expressed dismay at the award, saying “there is no merit for the Premier to receive this prestigious award.”
The group called on Japan to:
- Suspend its funding of the International Tropical Timber Organisation’s (ITTO) projects in Sarawak;
- End its endorsement of projects run by the Sarawak Forest Department; and
- Stop bankrolling forest destruction under the guise of sustainability.
“As Indigenous Penan from Upper Baram, I have personally witnessed how ITTO projects run by the Forest Department Sarawak and funded by Japan divide communities and destroy the forest.,” said Lerroy Lemen of KERUAN Organisation.
Japan’s connection to Sarawak’s timber industry is significant. According to 2024 data, Japan was by far the largest buyer of timber products from Sarawak:
- Plywood exports to Japan totalled RM 1.11 billion (497,210.93 m³) – more than nine times higher than the next largest buyer, Yemen (RM 118 million).
- Japan also dominated other product categories, including:
o Wood pellets: RM 91.9 million (118,249 tonnes)
o Door panels and frames: RM 28.9 million
o Mouldings: RM 15.6 million
Altogether, Japan’s combined imports across plywood, pellets, mouldings, doors, and other categories likely exceeded RM 1.25 billion in 2024, making it the top market for Sarawak’s timber exports by a huge margin.
“The Japanese government cannot claim environmental leadership while funding the destruction of Borneo’s remaining forests,” said Lim. “If Japan wants to be a real partner in sustainability, it must stop rewarding the people responsible for deforestation.”
