Sarawak’s chief minister has urged the state to export more timber furniture.
Abdul Taib Mahmud said Sarawak, Malaysia’s largest timber-producing state, exported only M$25m worth of furniture in 2003 compared with M$5.7bn overall in the country.
Mr Mahmud, speaking at the opening of the M$23m Furniture Industrial Complex in Kuching, called on plywood factories to alter their production polices to focus on high-quality furniture.
He also said wood-based factories in Kuching should move to Kota Samarahan where there is cheaper land and fewer environmental restrictions.
