PUTRAJAYA: The Sabah and Sarawak state governments have agreed with the federal government to stop expansion of oil palm area in the country, said Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok.
“Land matters come under the purview of state governments,” she told reporters after officiating the ‘Certified Sustainable Palm Oil Forum: Moving Forward with MSPO Timeline of 2019’ organised by the Malaysian Palm Oil Certification Council here today.
“I recently met up with Sabah chief minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal and Sarawak chief minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, on separate occasions. They have no objection to my suggestion to stop oil palm expansion,” the minister said.
“So, I assume it is consensus from the state governments and they support this decision that there won't be anymore new oil palm estates,” she added.
Currently, near six million hectares of land are under oil palm cultivation in Malaysia; 46 per cent being located in Peninsular Malaysia while Sabah and Sarawak account for a combined 54 per cent, of the total area respectively.
Kok said also met with the National Land Council, which comes under the purview of Land and Natural Resources Ministry, on halting expansion of oil palm area in Malaysia.
It was previously reported that Sarawak had given assurance that there will be no more opening of mass plantation on state land but will allow the natives to develop their native customary rights (NCR) land parcels.
Kok said she hopes all oil palm planters achieve 100 per cent Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification by December 2019.
As at October 2018, a total of 1.26 million hectares across Malaysia is MSPO-certified. This makes up 21.7 per cent of total area planted with oil palms.
“All palm oil exports must fulfill MSPO requirements by January 2020. If any planters, including smallholders, are not MSPO-certified by then, their produce will not be accepted by the market and it is to their own disadvantage,” the minister warned.