Jakarta, Dec. 12 -- Indonesia's forestry ministry has expanded public complaint channels and tightened timber oversight in flood-hit parts of Sumatra to prevent illegal logging and wood transport during the disaster response, officials said Friday.

Yazid Nurhuda, the ministry's director for Forestry Complaint Prevention and Handling, said the move supports an order from the Director-General of Sustainable Forest Management halting all timber utilization and transport to block any attempt to mix illegal wood into legitimate supplies during the emergency.

"We fully support this temporary freeze. In an emergency, the priority is recovery and risk mitigation. Our law-enforcement teams are here to ensure no one exploits the disaster for ille...