Skip to main content

Orangutan diplomacy changed to in-situ conservation

Image
By

 


The “Orangutan Diplomacy” programme suggested in May has been revised with an in-situ approach. Plantation and commodities minister Johari Abdul Ghani said that the decision to shift from the initial plan was made after consulting various parties, such as NGOs and environmental activists. He said that while many parties accepted the idea of the ‘Orangutan Diplomacy’ proposal, a few were against it.

“After discussions with stakeholders in the palm oil industry, an in-situ approach will be adopted, where all conservation activities will be carried out in their natural habitats, whether in forests or forest patches within palm oil plantations, known as High Conservation Value (HCV) areas.

“It’s true, we should keep the orangutans in their natural habitat. We need to protect the orangutans,” he said during the launching of the World Orangutan Day in Sandakan yesterday. He said that the orangutans will be free to move about to forage and breed without any interference from humans, or plantation and tourism activities.

Johari added that this conservation effort will be implemented through the Malaysian Palm Oil Green Conservation Foundation (MPOGCF), an agency under the ministry of plantation and commodities.

He also said that importers of Malaysian palm oil worldwide can adopt one or more orangutans under this programme. “The funds collected will be used to implement various related programmes such as collaborating with a team of rangers consisting of experts to monitor the presence, safety, and condition of these wild animals,” he said.

Last May, Johari had suggested to start giving orangutans as gifts to major trading partners who purchase palm oil from Malaysia to stem the negative perceptions of Malaysia’s palm oil industry. He said he hoped to generate the same goodwill as China does with its "panda diplomacy".

Orangutans are great apes native to the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra which spend most of their time in trees. The Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) is one of three species, all listed as critically endangered as a result of poaching, habitat destruction, deforestation, and the illegal pet trade.

On a separate matter, Johari said that the government will ensure that the palm oil industry as a whole complies with international sustainability standards. “The government has made Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification mandatory for all planters, including estates and smallholders,” he said.

“Without the MPSO certification, the government will not allow you to export.”

Johari said that the MSPO certification scheme serves as an effective instrument to reassure buyers about the sustainability and quality of the products they purchase, given that more than 80% of the country's palm oil production is for export markets.

He also shared that he had met with the EU ambassador last week to reiterate Malaysia’s commitment towards eliminating deforestation and enhancing traceability, where every palm oil can be traced back to its source—whether the estate, mill, or refinery.

He also stressed that he had spoken to the industry players confirming that there would be no more deforestation. Everyone has to comply with the MSPO certification,” he said, among which, the planters cannot harvest palm oil from forested areas to maintain its current forest cover of 54%.

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Hello Kitty proves action speaks louder than words

By
Hello Kitty proves action speaks louder than words Hello Kitty does not have a mouth. She speaks with her heart. Worldwide novelty ‘Hello Kitty’ had Singaporeans queuing up and tussling over a limited edition toy kitten dressed in skeleton outfit from a German fairy tale known as ‘The Singing Bones’. McDonald’s Singapore sold the toy, as the last in a series of six, which began early June. The last frenzy was Hello Kitty dressed in wedding attire in 2000. Despite having stocked up on 40% more on collectible Hello Kitty toys this year and limiting each customer to only 4 toys each, McDonald’s claim that the response for the Fairy Tale series had been overwhelming. The fast-food chain announced last Thursday that the iconic toy had been sold out, much to the disappointment and frustration of many enthusiastic collectors who braved the haze in an attempt to get their hands on the plush toy. Singapore wasn't the only country bogged by this phenomenon. Malaysia a...
Read more

Tap tourism market potential in Greater Bay Area, says Wong

By
  This article was published in TheSun on 19 August 2024. Tourism and Creative Economy executive councillor Wong Hon Wai said that there is great tourism potential in China’s Greater Bay Area, including Hong Kong. He also said that Penang should explore and expand its market share due to the Greater Bay Area’s large population of 86 million people, and economic strength. “Hong Kong alone has a population of 7.5 million people,” he said. “We warmly welcome more tourists, business professionals, and students from Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area to Penang, a unique city that blends East and West, tradition and modernity,” Wong said in a statement on   August 14. He said that the Greater Bay Area encompassing Hong Kong, Guangdong and Macao, share deep linguistic and cultural ties with Penang. He also highlighted that the Penang populace was generally proficient in multiple languages and dialects which would ease communication challenges. “Those who love cultural heritage...
Read more

Teng: It's not a scam

By
Press Statement by Penang Gerakan State Chairman Dato’ Dr Teng Hock Nan May 11, 2011 Penang Gerakan chief Dato’ Dr Teng Hock Nan pointed out today that the then State Exco did not at all offer compensation of RM1.8mil to Tang Hak Ju as compensation over a land case in Bukit Mertajam in 2004. “In fact, it was Tang who had demanded the sum from the previous state government. The State Exco decided that the amount he wanted should be justified with supporting documents including receipts on the amount of money he had spent in relation to the case. The decision was conveyed to Tang who could not produce the documents and did not come back to us. He then went to Court to seek redress,” said Dr Teng in a statement. Dr Teng, who was then a State Exco member, said the matter was clearly stated in the White Paper which was tabled at the State Assembly yesterday. “According to the White Paper, it was a technical mistake and negligence on the part of two government officers and there...
Read more