FSC Malaysia

It began when a small group of interested stakeholders embarked on an effort to establish a Malaysian presence for FSC - the FSC National Initiative.

In 2000, a workshop on forest certification was jointly organised by FSC, Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC) (then known as the National Timber Certification Council (NTCC)), WWF-Malaysia, Tropical Forest Trust (TFT), and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ). Its primary aim was to discuss opportunities for collaboration between FSC and MTCC. Reviewing the compatibility of MTCC's existing forest management standards against the requirements of FSC was paramount.

Over the years, as FSC and MTCC eventually pursued separate paths, several interested stakeholders continued to maintain linkages with FSC. The mission remained the same - to establish a locally adapted FSC certification scheme available to the Malaysian forest industry.

WWF-Malaysia and the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) were key drivers of this reinvigorated initiative. Through their guidance, in 2006, the first (FSC) Pro-term National Working Group Planning Meeting was held, where WWF-Malaysia was appointed as the interim Secretariat (a role it held until 2010).

In compliance with FSC requirements, a National Working Committee (NWC) was formed in 2007. Shortly after, Forest Stewardship (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. was legally registered with the Malaysian Registrar of Companies (to represent NWC), and it's name was subsequently changed to Forest Sustainability (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. in 2009.

The FSC Malaysia national office was officially launched on 19 November 2014 (with FSM as its legal entity). FSC International Director General, Kim Carstensen and FSC Malaysia Interim Executive Director, Andrew Ng, were among those present to officiate the launch.