(Miri, Sarawak — November 13, 2025) The repeated postponement of the court ruling on logging activities in the Data Bila area continues to generate dissatisfaction among local villagers and plaintiffs, who have been awaiting resolution of their customary land claims and demanding transparency on logging activities by company Borneoland Timber Resources.
The hearing, which concerns a judicial review of the licence in Sarawak’s Upper Baram granted to Borneoland Timber Resources (“Borneoland”), has faced repeated delays since the case was filed in January 2025. Plaintiffs, along with a delegation of Penan supporters, travelled to Miri for the hearing but were once again disappointed by the last-minute postponement.
The plaintiffs representing the affected communities described the successive postponements as inconsistent with efficient and disciplined justice, further delaying efforts to resolve long-standing customary land issues.
“It is worrying that this urgent matter is not being prioritized while logging activities continue unabated—until the forest is gone,” said Komeok Jo, Director of the grassroot organization Keruan. He notes that each postponement made without prior notice not only disrupts the proceedings for the parties involved but also undermines public confidence in the integrity of the justice system.
The judicial review was brought forward by eleven Penan plaintiffs from the Upper Baram area, challenging the logging licence issued to Borneoland. The contested area overlaps with the previously planned Upper Baram Forest Area (UBFA) — a community-led conservation initiative intended to protect the rainforest and safeguard Indigenous livelihoods.
However, the UBFA project stalled after the logging licence was granted to Borneoland behind closed doors. To date, the licence has not been made publicly available, and no environmental or social impact assessments have been disclosed for public review.
Indigenous residents of Upper Baram continue to express deep concern about the destruction of their ancestral lands and the rapid pace of deforestation.
Despite multiple complaints submitted to the government and the unresolved judicial review, the logging activities continue. The plaintiffs and their supporters are calling for transparency, accountability, and for the court hearing to be finally carried out.
Residents hope that the court will set a final date for the announcement of the case decision without further delay, enabling the justice process to be conducted fairly, transparently, and with dignity.
The hearing for this case was initially scheduled for 30 October, then postponed to 12 November, and is now rescheduled for 2 December.