Almost an Army Cadet, Always a Forester

By KC Ling and Laing Imang

This book is about the trials and tribulations of Laing as a forest surveyor and partly as a community officer dealing with local forest people.

In his works, he encountered the Penans and related some anecdotes of Penans and White men.

• Language: English
• Publisher: SILVER INK LITERARY AGENCY
• Release date: Jun 23, 2021
• ISBN: 9781952062513

Book preview

ALMOST AN

ARMY CADET,

ALWAYS A

FORESTER

KC LING AND LAING IMANG

Almost an Army Cadet, Always a Forester

Copyright © 2021 by KC Ling and Laing Imang.

Paperback ISBN: 978-1-952062-50-6

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-952062-51-3

The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily

reflect the views of the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

All rights reserved. No part in this book may be produced and transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic, or mechanical, including

photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval

system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Published by Silver Ink Literary Agency 04/17/2021

Silver Ink Literary Agency

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CONTENTS

Chapter 1    Almost An Army Cadet 

Chapter 2    Always a Forester 

Chapter 3    Encounters with the Penans 

Chapter 4    Lost in the jungle and in translation 

Chapter 5    Dialogue and missed opportunity, Long Moh Agreement 

Chapter 6    A New Beginning 

Chapter 7    Master Plan for Baram Operation 

Chapter 8    Blockade Satan and Sebatu Blockade 

Chapter 9    Heli-logging, ISO 9001 and SFM Certification 

Chapter 10    Epilogue 

INDEX OF PHOTOGRAPHS

Penan porters with superman power

Blow pipe for RM30 instead of RM100

Locality Map of Local Communities along Batang Baram

Basket made of rattan by Penan

Long San Bridge, 360 ft. span

Benalih Blockade

Sabai Blockade

Last dialogue with Sabai Penans

Suan Bridge, 1993

Nakan Bridge, 1995

Tijok Bridge, 1995

Silat Bridge, 1995

Julan Bridge, 1996

Lowing Bridge, 1996

Mujan Bridge, 1997

Lawan Bridge, 1997

Ulu Batang Baram Bridge, 1997

Sebatu Bridge, 1998

Selungo Bridge, 1998

Road and skid trail alignment

Taking tree at breast height (dbh)

Tree tagging

Marking tree felling direction

Directional felling of tree

Tractor skidding log

Helicopter lifting log

Camp of interns

Classroom in the forest

Meeting local community

Posing in front of Sulap,Penan hut

Fire in shifting cultivation area

Standing dead trees (grey) after forest fire, 2002

Tamu at Baram Central Base Camp

PREFACE

Laing Imang joined Samling in 1982 and was assigned to the forest Survey and Engineering Unit (SEU). We came into personally contact when the Bridge and Infra-structure Unit (BIU) was set up in 1992 to expedite the construction of new bridges and camp buildings and other infrastucutures such as fuel depots and workshops.

It was only in 2001 that we got the opportunity to work together when both of us were assigned to the FOMISS Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) project which was renamed as Selaan-Linau Forest Management Unit (FMU). A section of the FMU was ear-marked for Forest Management Certification under Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC) scheme.

I have encouraged Laing to put into a book about his working life and experience as a forester as it also mirrored the development and progression of the forestry operations and the impacts on the local communities in Ulu Baram.

Hopefully, the story of Laing would be able to give a human face to the trials and tribulations as a forester working in the forest and living among the local communities.

KC Ling

August 2013

CHAPTER 1

   

ALMOST AN ARMY CADET

 

L aing left Tanjong Lobang College in 1971 and the following year, he was accepted into the Army as an army cadet. At that point of time, the government was recruiting many young men into the military forces. Some of his schoolmates invited him to work in the private sector but he had no interest to do so. Although his ambition was to be