LETTER: Many see Western countries as successful and powerful but we Asians are equally capable of achieving all that the West has so far.
While many of us have become accustomed to Western cultures, food and also their way of life, we cannot let such influence choke us to the extent that we no longer fight for what is rightfully ours.
One good example here would be how the West is trying to clampdown the palm oil exports of Malaysia and Indonesia, and boost their soybean oil products instead.
From reports, the West is claiming our oil palm plantations are leading to deforestation and the rampant felling of trees.
As an active environmentalist, I have followed these reports and allegations closely and to date, there has been no clear, documented proof of such claims.
We have taken various conservation efforts to preserve our forests which is also a habitat for many animals, including the orangutan.
Our oil palm plantation techniques have come a long way and using modern technology, there are numerous methods of planting which do not require plantations to cut down any trees.
It is all about maximising potential from existing plantations and the use of land without the need to fell a single tree.
The use of high-quality fertilisers and modern technology, even drones, have helped our oil palm plantations tremendously.
Palm oil is our main export and generates millions for our national coffers. We cannot let the West take this away from us.
ZUBAIDAH MOHD HARUN
Jalan Kelang Lama
Kuala Lumpur
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times