Oct 20, 2008. /Lesprom.com/. The Malaysian timber industry has been urged to concentrate in producing more furniture to help increase the country's export turnover of timber and timber products, Borneo Bulletin reports. Resource Development and Information Technology Minister Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai said value-added timber products such as furniture have greater export value compared to other processed timber products. Dr Yee said last year, Malaysia's total exports of timber and timber products showed lower figures than in the previous year. Total exports of timber and timber products in 2007 amounted to RM22.76 billion which is lower than RM23.45 billion in the previous year. He said wood furniture and plywood are two main products which contributed the most revenue, generating RM6.72 and RM6.27 billion, respectively. From the total exports of RM22.76 billion last year, 16 per cent was contributed from Sabah, mainly from products like plywood, timber and sawn timber. The minister said Sabah also contributed in furniture export but in very low volume compared with Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia, which contributed 33% and 54% respectively. Dr Yee said this during the opening of a seminar on education and career in timber sector here. He said the plantation and commodity sectors were one of the country's main economic sectors. Timber is considered one of the country's main commodities and has generated huge revenues for many years. At one point it was even considered as Sabah's core sector which up to now is still continuing to generate revenue, he said.