IPOH, MALAYSIA - A Malaysian husband and wife face up to 20 years in prison if convicted on charges of illegal logging from the Bukit Kinta forest reserve.

Leow Fah Yong, 42, and his wife, Yew Wai Peng, 41, pleaded innocent to five charges that they allegedly removed logs valued at RM5 million Malaysian Ringgits ($1.5 million U.S.) without a license or permit between Jan. 16 and March 6 of 2010, according to The Star Online and several other Malaysian news agencies. The couple has been charged with violating Malaysia's National Forestry Enactment Act of 1984.

The New Straits Times reported that Yew is the owner of a timber company and that Leow is the company's site manager.

In addition to facing one to 20 years in prison, Leow and Yew cold be fined up to RM500,000 ($150,000), plus be subject to reimbursing the state up to 10 times the value of the logs that were removed.

The Bukit Kinta forest reserve covers more than 142,000 hectacres in Malaysia's central Perak state.