Kuala Lumpur: The Ministry of Plantation and Commodities (KPK) is expressing deep concerns over the ongoing human-elephant conflicts within the plantation sector, particularly in Sabah, according to its Deputy Minister Chan Foong Hin. The government, through KPK, has initiated funds, including the Malaysian Palm Oil Green Conservation Foundation (MPOGCF), to manage conflicts involving elephants and other wildlife, such as orangutans.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Chan highlighted the MPOGCF’s wildlife project in the Sungai Pin area, Sukau Kinabatangan, a collaboration with Sawit Kinabalu, as part of conservation efforts. He referred to the recent discovery of a decapitated Borneo pygmy elephant carcass in an oil palm plantation at Bukit Tukok Estate in Kalabakan, which has raised serious concerns for the ministry.
Chan expressed confidence that the Sabah Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Environment, led by Minister Datuk Seri Christina Liew, is taking firm action on the matter. KPK is ready to collaborate in resolving the issue. Sabah is home to the endangered Borneo elephant, with a population estimated at around 1,000, as per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
Chan also urged oil palm smallholders in Malaysia to utilize the RM100 million fund allocated by the government for the Smallholder Palm Oil Replanting Financing Incentive Scheme (TSPKS 2.0) this year. The funds, in the form of matching grants, will be managed by Agrobank and aim to assist 1,500 smallholders in replanting approximately 5,900 hectares of palm oil plantations.
Information on the scheme and application procedures can be accessed at any Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) branch office or downloaded from the MPOB website or Agrobank branches. Currently, 95 applications have been approved, covering an area of 446.76 hectares in Tawau.
MPOB director-general Datuk Dr Ahmad Parveez Ghulam Kadir encouraged smallholders to join Koperasi Penanaman Sawit Mampan (KPSM) to gain from the various benefits offered. There are 70 KPSMs nationwide, with 28 located in Sabah, aiming to unite smallholders for implementing good agricultural practices under the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification.