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 from KERUAN Organisation Lerroy Lemen had travelled from Sarawak to Japan to attend an academic seminar. 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 lecture was advertised as an international seminar titled ‘Strengthening Forest Management in Sarawak through Monitoring and Innovation’, featuring Sarawak Forestry Department Director Hamden Mohamad as a guest speaker. However, on the eve of the event, it was abruptly cancelled ‘due to circumstances on the part of the organisers’. In fact, Hamden was observed on the Osaka Metropolitan University campus on the day of the seminar itself.
“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. He was there 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. Altogether, Japan’s combined imports across plywood, pellets, mouldings, doors, and other categories likely exceeded RM 1.25 billion in 2024. This makes 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.”