Palm Oil Importing Countries To Be Invited To Join Orangutan Conservation In Sabah In-situ

SANDAKAN, Aug 18 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is inviting palm oil importing countries to get involved in orangutan conservation efforts in Sabah through an in-situ approach, in its natural habitat.

Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said the decision was taken after several months of evaluating feedback on the idea of ​​Orangutan Diplomacy which was discussed at the Biodiversity Forum 2024 in Pahang in May.

He said the in-situ approach was chosen after discussions with stakeholders in the oil palm industry through the Malaysian Palm Oil Green Conservation Foundation (MPOGCF).

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"All conservation activities will be carried out in forest areas or forest patches in oil palm plantations with high conservation value (HCV).

"These HCV areas provide space for orangutans to move freely, find food, and reproduce without interference from humans or other activities," he said when officiating the celebration of World Orangutan Day 2024 here today.

Johari also emphasised that the idea of ​​Orangutan Diplomacy aims to improve the negative perception of the Malaysian oil palm industry. Through this initiative, palm oil importing countries can adopt one or more orangutans and will be given the privilege to name them.

He said the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) report in 2019 showed that the orangutan population in Sabah was stable, with estimates ranging from 10,000 to 15,000 orangutans in the state.

He said the Malaysian Palm Oil Green Conservation Foundation (MPOGCF) had also allocated RM1.23 million to a non-governmental organisation based in Sabah to carry out a study on Borneo orangutan population from 2023 to 2025.

"I urge oil palm industry players to contribute voluntarily to MPOGCF and enjoy tax incentives. This fund will be used for various conservation programmes including the monitoring of orangutans by a team of trained rangers," he said.

He also praised the efforts of Sabah, Sarawak, and Sawit Kinabalu Sdn Bhd, which has spent more than RM10 million since 2003 to conserve the orangutan population in the Sungai Pin Conservation Area, which currently houses 55 orangutans.

Johari stressed that the central government will continue to support the efforts of the Borneo states in conserving the orangutan habitat, which is the only natural habitat of this species in the world.

-- BERNAMA