The Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC) is pleased to publish Part 1 of the “Understanding MTCS: What Forest Certification Means for Local Communities” poster series. The series explains how the requirements of the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS) relate to Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs) living in or adjacent to MTCS-certified forest areas.
This poster series forms part of MTCC’s ongoing communication, education and awareness initiatives to strengthen public understanding of MTCS, sustainable forest management and forest certification in Malaysia.
They are designed to be used by forest managers, auditors or other stakeholders when engaging with IPLCs during community meetings, field assessments and other outreach activities. Their content was refined based on feedback from auditors, forest management certificate holders and other stakeholders MTCC Calibration Workshop 2025.
What the Posters Cover
Part 1 introduces four topics:
- Your Rights in an MTCS Certified Forest sets out the rights of local communities in a certified forest, including being informed about forest activities, protecting sites of importance, and raising concerns through the appropriate channels.
- Why Forest Certification Matters to Our Community explains how MTCS requirements relate to IPLCs’ rights and traditions, the benefits of the forest, and the care of natural resources.
- Join Engagement Sessions to Make Your Voice Heard encourages IPLCs to take part when forest managers invite them to meetings or dialogue, and outlines ways to give feedback and raise concerns.
- How MTCS Certification Benefits Our Forest and Community gives an overview of the environmental, social and economic requirements of MTCS certification.
Download and Share
The posters are available in English and Bahasa Malaysia. MTCC encourages forest managers, auditors, academics, non-governmental organisations, and other stakeholders to download the posters and use them for awareness and educational purposes.
Part 1: Now Available for Download
Coming Soon: Part 2
Stay tuned for the next part of the series, which will take a closer look at the nine Principles of the Malaysian Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management (MC&I SFM), the standard used for forest management certification under MTCS. Each of the nine posters will explain on each Principle, highlighting forest managers’ responsibilities and how these relate to IPLCs.
For enquiries, please contact MTCC at [email protected].
Publish Date: 2 November 2026
