Forests are not only essential to serve as the habitat for many plant and animal species, but they play several other large roles as well. They help control the flow of water into streams and rivers, which in turn, helps to control climate change. In addition, the animals living in the forests serve a purpose. Bats for example aid in the reduction of insect pests, which may otherwise be detrimental to the environment, as well as assisting in the pollination of fruit plants. Malaysia used to be almost completely covered by forests, but today only 59.9% of the forestation in Malaysia still exists today. In 1900, William F. McKinley created the Lacey Act to hold U.S. companies up to the standards of environmental laws from countries in which plant and wildlife products are sourced. A significant amount of deforestation in Malaysia has occured due to the cultivation of palm oil and rubber. Palm oil is the most valuable and popular cash crop at the moment, therefore, there are many palm oil plantations that are cultivated for their palm oil, leading to severe deforestation. Palm oil is of such a great significance because it is used in a variety of products such as food and oil. As a result of the deforestation, Malaysia is no longer a main provider for timber. More than 50% of the species living in the forests of Malaysia are expected to become extinct because of deforestation. In addition, the deforestation rate in Malaysia exceeds many other forested regions including places such as Paraguay, Indonesia, and Guatemala, and is leading to many detrimental effects not only on the rain forests themselves, but on the animals that inhabit the forests.