The target comes under Malaysia Greening Programme 2.0. The state had planted more than 35 million trees between 2021 and 2025, according to the latest forestry update.

The programme is being linked to a broader push to make forests support rural livelihoods as well as conservation. A southern-zone non-timber forest products expo held from July 31 to Aug 9 brought together 40 community-based entrepreneurs and generated RM501,677.70 in sales.

That combination matters for Sarawak’s forest policy: the next phase is being presented not only as a planting exercise, but also as an attempt to create income from non-timber products, ecosystem services, biodiversity and ecotourism while keeping natural resources under sustainable management.