KOK: STOP BLAMING OIL PALM FIRMS
Planters have adopted good practices that prohibit open burning, says minister
IT is unfair to blame oil palm plantations for the haze as many factors could have contributed to forest fires, said Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok.
She said oil palm companies subscribed to good agricultural practices set by the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil certification and Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil scheme, which prohibited open burning.
“It is unfair to keep pointing fingers at oil palm planters. In many parts of Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia, peat soil can catch fire easily during the dry season,” she said at the opening of the 39th Palm Oil Familiarisation Programme organised by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board, here, yesterday.
She said peat fires could have been caused by cigarette butts or small farmers living within oil palm concessions who cleared their land to plant cash crops.
Many cash crop farmers who cannot afford heavy machinery for land clearing may have also unknowingly started peat fires.
Kok urged all parties to refrain from finger-pointing as the Indonesian government was working to put out the forest fires and investigate the causes.
“I would like to think justice based on integrity shall prevail. I will head to Indonesia next month, with the hope of bringing together Malaysian and Indonesian plantation owners to gain a better insight on the issue.
“We will seek cooperation from the Indonesian authorities for more effective solutions and preventive measures regarding the transboundary air pollution.
“We need to be fair. We have seen efforts by Indonesia to put out the fires,” she added.
Meanwhile, Kok also launched a trilingual magazine named
PLUS to raise awareness of palm oil nutrition at the event.