Almost an Army Cadet, Always a Forester

THE BOOK IS ABOUT THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF LAING AS A FOREST SURVEYOR AND PARTLY AS A COMMUNITY OFFICER DEALING WITH LOCAL FOREST PEOPLE. IN HIS WORKS, HE ENCOUNTERED THE PENANS AND RELATED SOME ANECDOTES OF PENANS AND WHITE MEN. HE TALKED ABOUT THE DIALOGUE WITH KAYAN, KENYAH AND PENAN; LONG MOH AGREEMENT WHICH EXCLUDED THE PENANS. HE WAS INVOLVED WITH BARAM OPERATION MASTER PLAN AND WITNESSED SUBSEQUENT BLOCKADES BY PENANS AGAINST LOGGING. PENAN BLOCKADES AT LAYUN, "BLOCKADE SATAN" AND SEBATU BROUGHT FAME TO ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVITISTS LIKE BRUNO MANSER, HARRISON NGAU AND ANDERSON MUTANG. HE OVERSAW HELI-LOGGING, ISO9001 DOCUMENTATION AND SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATION. HE WAS ABLE TO SHARE HIS EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE WITH INTERNS AND UNDERGRADUATES WHO CHOSE FORESTRY AS A CAREER. HIS MORE THAN TWO DECADES OF WORKING IN THE FOREST HAS ENHANCED HIS APPRECIATION OF NATURE CONSERVATION AND CORDIAL ENGAGEMENT WITH PENANS.