Off to Europe to counter oil palm smear campaign

Nature Alert note: Readers need to consider when reading any press coverage from Malaysia, the government can and does censor news articles. In this specific article what they don't tell you is that Malaysian companies have extensive investments in the Indonesian palm oil industry i.e. whilst Malaysian companies MAY not be so blatantly cutting down forests in their own country, they are VERY active in destroying rainforests and orangutan habitat Indonesia.


Thursday September 4, 2008 MY The StarOnline, Malaysia

Off to Europe to counter oil palm smear campaign

By JACK WONG

KUCHING: A high-level Malaysian delegation would meet with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Europe next week in an effort to counter what it said was a smear campaign against the oil palm industry. Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC) general manager Datuk Len Talif Salleh said the delegation would have roundtable talks with NGOs in the Hague, Brussels and London.

“Some NGOs are telling the world that Malaysia is cutting down forests for oil palm cultivation.

“This is not true. We need to explain (ourselves) and correct this misperception,” he told reporters after touring a promotion and sales exhibition for locally-made furniture at the STIDC hall here on Thursday.

Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui will lead the delegation to the meetings organised by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board.

Len Talif, also the state’s Planning and Resource Management Ministry deputy permanent secretary, said Malaysia had been unfairly blamed although it produced palm oil for the world.

He said the smear campaign by some NGOs and environmental activists would not dampen Sarawak’s efforts to develop the oil palm and timber industries which created jobs and earned foreign exchanges for the state.