For the first five months of 2009, exports of the wood and wood-based sub-sector, encompasses both wood and paper products, fell 19.3 per cent to RM5.3 billion compared to the corresponding period last year. This was a result of dampened demand from Malaysia’s major export markets, such as the USA and Europe. To streamline and improve the efficiency of the timber sub-sector, the government launched the National Timber Policy (NATIP) on 17 February 2009. Among its objectives, NATIP serves to ensure that the industry continues to enhance its competitiveness in the global marketplace. The Government continues to promote higher value-added downstream activities through the provision of special funding and grants. These support facilities assist Malaysian companies in setting up and expanding infrastructure facilities, R&D, training and streamlining procedures to facilitate increased production. The Malaysian government has also embarked on several initiatives to enhance market...