TAWAU: Plantation operators must take steps to protect wildlife as many important sites for biodiversity lie close to or next to plantations, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman.
“Let us all work hand in hand to find the best solutions as we move forward in both the palm oil sector and biodiversity conservation,” he said in his speech for the 123rd annual dinner of the East Malaysia
Planters’ Association (Empa) on Saturday.
The chief Minister pointed out palm oil has contributed immensely to Malaysia’s economic growth and has helped lift the rural residents from poverty.
It is strongly featured in the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) and is one of the 12 National Key Economic Areas that will spearhead Malaysia’s transformation into a high-income nation by 2020.
He said this would be achieved through the implementation of entry point projects covering the entire palm oil chain — from upstream production to downstream expansion.
Confidence that the planet and people are not poorly treated in the production of commodities is now a priority for a growing number of markets, he said in his speech which was read by Deputy Chief Minister cum Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry
Datuk Seri Panglima Hj Yahya Hussin.
Musa said sustainability is the current keyword in the production of commodities, especially palm oil. Global demand, in particular from the European Union and United States, demands sustainably produced palm oil.
“It is our wish to see more players in the palm oil sector subscribing to the production of sustainably produced palm oil under the ambit of the Roundtable for Sustainable of Palm Oil (RSPO). I also wish to encourage smaller estates to undertake efforts under the RSPO, so that the industry can truly attest to Malaysia producing certified sustainable palm oil. I hope EMPA members are responsive to sustainability requirements, and are making progress in producing certified sustainable palm oil,” he said.
Musa added there is also an urgency to accelerate work on farm mechanization to reduce the sector’s dependence on foreign labour.
“We must factor in future constraints and this includes the fact that supply of foreign labour, especially from neighbouring countries may be limited. Within this context, I strongly urge EMPA members to adopt proactive measures to meet the projected reduction of manpower, and to invest in mechanization,” he said.
Musa said he believed in another area which the plantation industry needs to pay serious attention to is the improvement of infrastructure, housing and other facilities for plantation workers, Owners cannot just focus on profit alone, and need to improve welfare of workers. In the long run, such measures will help attract interest from locals who may be keen to work in plantations.
“I wish to encourage you to make more funds available to improve infrastructure for workers in your plantations, if you have not done so already,” he said.
He said Sabah is the leading producer of palm oil in Malaysia. The government’s decision to turn Lahad Datu into a palm oil downstream processing hub has received positive response from foreign and local investors. Apart from investments directly linked to plam oil, the Palm Oil Industrial Cluster (POIC) in Lahad Datu also offers opportunities to a wide range of supporting industries needed for this sector to flourish. The government is committed to POIC’s development as the future for palm oil in the world edible oil market remains bright.
Musa also said the state government will continue to take steps to update policies, improve performance and capability of public management system and develop skilled and competent human capital. Such factors are required for the identified economic sectors to meet their full potential. As a government mandated by the people, our main agenda is to ensure continuous development that benefits the people.
“I wish to invite the private sector to become our partner in shifting the economy to a new economic model based on innovation, creativity and high value-added activities,” he said.