21.   He said demand for world production of tropical timber had increased and continued growth in global consumption was expected.

22.   He said such parks could help create an advantage for the State, which was a world-class tropical timber supplier.

23.   However, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Malaysia was against unilateral action taken by the major markets to restrict or boycott the use of tropical timber.

24.   Indonesia warned Sunday that a ban or boycott against tropical timber could lead to forests being destroyed so the land could be converted to industrial use.

25.   Ismail said the campaign against tropical timber is now less strident and the non-governmental organisations seldom resort to street protests and attention-grabbing gimmicks unlike in the past.

26.   Itto, the only organisation on timber, groups world exporter and importer nations of tropical timber products.

27.   Malaysia is green, but is seeing red over this unilateral decision to label products from tropical timber producers.

28.   Malaysia is a big exporter of tropical timber.

29.   Lim said the local timber industry was also threatened by the dumping of sawn timber and plywood from other tropical timber exporters, especially from other Southeast Asian countries.

30.   Meanwhile, Coordinator Minister for Economy and Industry Hartarto was quoted as saying that the rules of the International Tropical Timber Organization were unfair to tropical timber producers.