Separate Fact
from Fiction
Understand the facts behind sustainable timber, responsible forest certification, and the role of MTCS/PEFC in supporting credible, transparent, and sustainable forestry.
Facts vs
Myths
Understand the facts behind sustainable timber and clarify common misconceptions.
Timber remains one of the most misunderstood building materials. As the scheme owner of the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS), MTCC sets out the facts behind some of the most common misconceptions, covering how certification works, how certified forests are managed, how certified timber is tracked through the supply chain, and how timber performs as a building material.
MYTHS ABOUT MTCS CERTIFICATION
Myth: MTCC conducts audits and issues certificates.
Fact: MTCC is the scheme owner, responsible for developing and governing the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS). It does not conduct certification audits, grant harvesting licences, or have any role in a Certification Body's decision to certify an applicant. Certification is carried out independently by accredited Certification Bodies.
Myth: MTCS certification is a one-time check with no follow-up.
Fact: MTCS certification is valid for five years, with annual surveillance audits conducted to verify ongoing compliance throughout that period.
MYTHS ABOUT MTCS/PEFC-CERTIFIED FORESTS
Myth: Using timber contributes to the destruction of the environment.
Fact: Timber is the only major building material that is renewable. Trees that are harvested can be replaced through replanting and natural regeneration, unlike finite resources such as steel or concrete. Under sustainably managed forests, harvesting is carried out according to long-term management plans that maintain forest cover over time. The MTCS ST 1002:2021 – Malaysian Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management (MC&I SFM) requires certified forest management units to protect biodiversity, high conservation value areas, and rare, threatened and endangered species, while implementing reduced impact logging and safeguarding soil and water resources. (MC&I SFM, Principle 6)
Myth: MTCS/PEFC-certified forests can be logged without limit.
Fact: Harvesting is capped by an Annual Allowable Cut, so that only the amount of timber the forest can naturally regenerate is harvested, supported by reduced impact logging, tree tagging and ongoing monitoring of forest regeneration.
(MC&I SFM, Principle 5, Criterion 5.6)
Myth: MTCS/PEFC certification allows forests to be cleared and converted to other uses.
Fact: Conversion of certified natural forest or forest plantation to non-forest use is limited to a maximum of 5% of the certified area of the Forest Management Unit, must exclude any High Conservation Value areas, and must deliver clear, additional, long-term conservation, economic and social benefits.
(MC&I SFM, Principle 6, Criterion 6.10)
Myth: MTCS/PEFC certification overlooks the rights of local and indigenous communities.
Fact: MC&I SFM includes mandatory requirements to recognise customary land and use rights, provide compensation for the use of traditional knowledge, and maintain grievance resolution mechanisms for affected communities. (MC&I SFM, Principle 3)
Myth: Once a tree is cut down, the carbon benefit is lost.
Fact: As a tree grows, it absorbs carbon dioxide and stores that carbon within its wood. If the tree is left to die and rot naturally, that carbon is eventually released back into the atmosphere. Harvesting the tree and using it in furniture or buildings keeps that carbon "locked" in place for as long as the timber remains in use, potentially for decades or longer, while a new tree planted in its place continues absorbing more carbon as it grows. (Source: Dr. Wong Tuck Meng, Malaysian Timber Council, "Using Timber in Construction – The Truth is Out There!," presented at the PAM CPD Seminar, Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia, PAM Centre, Kuala Lumpur, 23 August 2014)
MYTHS ABOUT MTCS/PEFC-CERTIFIED TIMBER TRACEABILITY
Myth: Once timber leaves the forest, there's no way to verify where it actually came from.
Fact: Under the Chain of Custody standard, every organisation handling certified timber must obtain documentation identifying the supplier, product, quantity, and applicable PEFC claim for each delivery, and must retain these records for a minimum of five years. (PEFC ST 2002:2020, Clauses 4.4 and 5.1)
Myth: A "PEFC certified" label on a timber product is just a marketing claim, with nothing checking it.
Fact: A PEFC claim, the statement that a product is "X% PEFC certified," can only be made by an organisation that holds a valid Chain of Custody certificate, and it must be correct and verifiable at every step, backed by sales and delivery documentation. Where the PEFC label itself appears on a product, this also requires a separate trademark licence from PEFC, identified by a licence number that can be checked on PEFC's website. Organisations making PEFC claims must operate a certified management system, undergo annual internal audits, and are subject to inspection and corrective action where nonconformities are identified. (PEFC ST 2002:2020, Clauses 4.6 and 4.8)
Myth: Certification only checks where timber grew, not whether the supply chain itself is clean.
Fact: Organisations handling forest and tree-based material must operate a Due Diligence System to assess and mitigate the risk that there is negligible risk that the material originates from controversial sources, including illegal harvesting or conflict timber, before it can be classified as PEFC Controlled Sources material. (PEFC ST 2002:2020, Clause 7 and Appendix 1)
MYTHS ABOUT TIMBER AS A BUILDING MATERIAL
Myth: Timber is not a strong or reliable structural material.
Fact: Timber has a high strength-to-weight ratio, meaning that for the same load, the weight of timber required is significantly lower than that of other structural materials. This is one reason timber works for long spans and even high-rise buildings, once the wood has been graded and standardised for structural use.
(Source: Pablo van der Lugt, "The Timber Truth," MaterialDistrict, 2025)
Myth: Timber is a fire hazard and performs poorly compared to steel or concrete.
Fact: Although timber is combustible, it behaves more predictably in an intense fire than it might seem. Concrete and steel typically lose around 90% of their strength once temperatures reach 230°C, while timber doesn't catch fire until around 260°C. When it does burn, the outer layer chars and turns to carbon at a slow, steady rate, and this char layer acts like a shield, insulating the wood underneath and starving the fire of oxygen, so the timber's strength holds for longer than people expect. (Source: Dr. Wong Tuck Meng, Malaysian Timber Council, "Using Timber in Construction – The Truth is Out There!," presented at the PAM CPD Seminar, Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia, PAM Centre, Kuala Lumpur, 23 August 2014)
Myth: Timber buildings don't last, since wood rots and decays easily.
Fact: Some Malaysian timber species, such as Chengal, Balau, Merbau and Belian, are naturally durable and resist decay and insect attack without any treatment. For species that aren't naturally durable, Malaysian Standard MS 544: Part 10:2003 sets out a formal system for preservative treatment, matching the level of protection to how and where the timber will be used, so that structural timber can be reliably durable regardless of species. (Source: MS 544: Part 10:2003, Code of Practice for Structural Use of Timber – Preservative Treatment of Structural Timber, Department of Standards Malaysia)