Section 8
Functions of the Board
of Act 319
(a)
to conduct and promote research into forest development including the production, extraction, processing, storage, transportation and utilization of forest produce, and other fields appropriate to the continued development of the forestry sector and the conservation of the resource base;
(b)
to secure, where the public interest or the interest of forest development and forest industries so require, the development and exploitation of results of research, which appear to the Board not to have been developed or exploited or sufficiently developed or exploited;
(c)
to acquire, hold, dispose of or grant rights in connection with the result of any research conducted by the Board or, where the public interest or the interest of forest development and forest industries so require, in connection with the result of any research undertaken by any person or organization;
(d)
to control, coordinate and monitor the activities of any organization undertaking research and development programmes and projects financed wholly or mainly from the Fund;
(e)
to ensure that it is kept fully informed of the relevant activities of any organization undertaking research and development programmes and projects financed partly by the Fund;
(f)
to collect, collate and disseminate information relating to forest management and development, forest produce and forest products utilization;
(g)
to coordinate activities within Malaysia relating to research and development, publicity and other matters relating to forest development and forest industries and to
Malaysian Forestry Research 11
and Development Board liaise with bodies outside Malaysia concerned with these matters;
(h)
to keep the Minister fully informed of all matters relating to forestry research and development; and
(i)
to exercise such other functions as the Minister may, from time to time, direct.
(2)
The Board may do all things reasonably necessary for, or expedient or incidental to, the discharge of its functions, in particular but without prejudice to the generality of this section—
(a)
to enter into contracts with, or commission any person or body to carry out research;
(b)
to provide consultancy services to the public; and
(c)
to set up committees, which may consist of or include persons who are not members of the Board, to advise or assist the Board on such matters concerning its functions as it considers fit; and the Board may delegate, subject to such conditions and restrictions as it may impose, such of its functions under the Act (except the power to make regulations and to borrow money) as it considers fit to any such committees, and any act done or decision made by the committees pursuant to such delegation shall be deemed to be the act or decision of the Board.