Archived News

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 8 (Bernama) -- Moscow-based Badr Forte Bank, the firstand only Russian Islamic bank, today announced that the first number oftransactions involving palm oil products export from Malaysia to Russiawere being finalised.In a statement Friday, the bank said the transactions will be insuredunder an export credit insurance facility provided by Malaysian ExportCredit & Insurance Berhad (MECIB).

Brazil, Nov 5, 2002 (COMTEX) -- Malaysian companies are planning to investin the production of palm oil in Brazil. The investment plan should besimilar to the one promoted in 2001 in Venezuela, of US$100mil. Brazilproduces 100,000 m tons of palm oil and consumes 170,000 m tons.Meanwhile, the largest palm oil producer of Brazil, Agropalma, will expandproduction at 53% over the next three years. The company expects to reach2005 with a production of 130,000 m tons of oil. In 2002, Agropalmapredicts 85,000 an increase of 18% compared to the 72,000 m tons producedin 2001.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 (Bernama) -- Using gold dinar can boost the palm oilmarket among the Islamic countries, Deputy Minister of Primary IndustriesDatuk Anifah Haji Aman, said here Thursday."In terms of the industry itself, at least the Islamic countries can tradefreely by using this as a trade settlement mechanism," he said at a"Business Matching Session with Iranian Delegation" organised by the MalayBusinessmen & Industrialists Association of Malaysia (PERDASAMA), towelcome the delegation.

PUTRAJAYA, Khamis, 30/10/02(Berita Harian) - Malaysia akan terus kerugianpurata lebih RM1.79 bilion setahun jika masih gagal meningkatkanpengeluaran minyak sawit kepada sekurang-kurangnya empat tan sehektarsetahun.

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 31 (Bernama) -- Palm oil, which is enjoying good price, isexpected to strengthen further in the future months based on the demandfrom the major markets, said Primary Industries Minister Datuk Seri Dr LimKeng Yaik here Thursday."Major markets like India, is expected to increase its imports to caterthe Deepavali celebration, apart from its decreasing vegetable oilproduction due to the dry season in the country," he said at the Oil PalmSmallholders 2002 national conference.The two-day conference organised by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB),is themed "Strategy Towards Strengthening and Future of the Oil PalmSmallholders.""Apart from this, China needs to use the balance of its palm oil importquota for this year, and the fact that supply of fats and vegetable oilsare expected to decrease in the next few months," he said.Dr Lim said that the price of palm oil currently stood at RM1,520 pertonne which was much better than the RM700 per tonne recorded at onestage.He said that Malaysia always hoped for the best for the industry but theups and downs of price was normal in the trading of agriculturalcommodity."What is important is that the smallholders involved must optimise theirproduction and minimise production costs. To achieve high productivity,smallholders require knowledge, sufficient skils and inputs," he said.To help the smallholders enhance their productivity, he said that MPOB haslaunched a programme where 50 officers were appointed to give technicaladvice to the smallholders who are not getting such advice from othergovernment agencies. -- BERNAMA

KUCHING, Oct 31 (Bernama) -- Sarawak is expected to develop a total of onemillion hectares of oil palm plantation by 2010.The staggered development will take in 30,000 hectares of Native CustomaryRights (NCR) land and 40,000 hectares of state land per annum.Sarawak Rural and Land Development assistant minister, Datuk Gramong Junatold the State Legislative Assembly Thursday that this meant that a totalof 750,000 hectares of land in Sarawak would be cultivated with the cashcrop in the next five years."Up to now about 400,000 hectares have been planted with oil palm trees,"he said when replying to Lee Kim Shin (BN-Senadin) during question time.He said the Malaysia Palm Oil Board (MPOB), which is responsible for theresearch and development (R&D), had come with 30 new products/findings.including palm-based polyurethanes, crayons, grease and various personalcare extractions.MPOB continued to show progress in the development of high quality mediumdensity fibreboard from oil palm fibre with the establishment of its pilotplant while technology for using its fibre in road-making was alsointroduced.He said in food application, high-energy biscuit formulated with mediumchain triglycerides, low calorie bakery margarine and high-fibre chocolatehad been introduced using palm oil as an ingredient.Various methods for controlling pests in the plantation were also madeavailable to the industry such as the use of cassia cobanensis asbeneficial plant for bagworm control. -- BERNAMA

(Berita harian) - KONSEP timbal balas yang digunakan dalam pembeliansenjata ketenteraan tidak terhad kepada kelapa sawit saja, sebaliknyaturut membabitkan komoditi lain termasuk getah, kelapa kering, koko danproduk elektronik.Timbalan Menteri Pertahanan, Datuk Shafie Apdal, berkata tujuan utamakonsep itu ialah bagi memperoleh pulangan ekonomi yang maksimum melaluipasaran komoditi di negara terbabit.Selain itu katanya, konsep itu juga membantu mengurangkan aliran keluarmata wang negara.“Contohnya dalam perolehan kapal selam, komponen timbal balas adalahsebanyak 35 peratus daripada keseluruhan nilai kontrak iaitu 25 peratusmembabitkan komoditi kelapa sawit dan 10 peratus lagi komoditi laintermasuk perkhidmatan," katanya menjawab soalan Muhyidin Abdul Rashid(PAS-Hulu Terengganu) di Dewan Rakyat, semalam.Shafie berkata, elemen timbal balas itu juga akan diambil kita dalam semuapembelian peralatan besar lain yang masih dalam peringkat perundingan.Menjawab soalan tambahan Datuk Raja Ahmad Zainuddin Omar (BN-Larut),beliau berkata, timbal balas itu dilaksanakan mengikut perundingan dengannegara pembekal dan berasaskan permintaan mereka.“Jika mereka mahukan produk koko atau kelapa sawit, negara pembekal ituakan masukkan kedua-dua komoditi itu dalam perjanjian. Jika dulu baranganitu tidak mempunyai pasaran di negara berkenaan tetapi melalui perjanjianitu secara tidak langsung kita dapat memperkenalkan produk kita.“Melalui perjanjian berkenaan, kita turut mengambil kira kecanggihannegara pembekal yang mengeluarkan peralatan ketenteraan itu, selainpertukaran teknologi berkaitan,” katanya.Menjawab soalah tambahan Muhyidin, Shafie berkata, rakyat tidak perlubimbang dengan penubuhan Pusat Latihan Serantau Bagi Mencegah Keganasan dinegara ini kerana ia bertujuan mengiktiraf terhadap usaha berterusan pihakberkuasa menangani masalah keganasan termasuk kes lanun, penculikan danpenyeludupan.“Kita tak perlu takut dengan penubuhan pusat itu, orang yang takut adalahpengganas kerana mereka yang akan ditahan. Penubuhan itu adalahpengiktirafan terhadap pendekatan sistematik yang kita guna sejak dululagi,” katanya.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 30 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has asked Morroco to revise itsduties on crude and refined palm oil so that they would be on par with oneanother, says primary industries minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik.In a statement upon his return from a 17-day official visit to Morroco,Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Wednesday, he saidMorroco was a relatively new market for palm oil.

PENANG, Oct 28 (Bernama) -- Solar powered cars are nothing new today.But what about palm oil powered vehicles? These are among the latestinventions - some of which are by local scientists - using natural energysources.

BUTTERWORTH, Oct 26: Penang Chief Minister Tan Sr Dr Koh Tsu Koon saidtoday the State must continue to diversify and find niches to staycompetitive in the highly competitive global market.He said apart from being an international microchip centre, Penang has thepotential to be a big producer of natural resource-based industries suchas palm oil products, and even marine resources.He said for example, Penang has the potential to exploit its marineresources as it has three research facilities _ the Fisheries Institute ofMalaysia, World Fish Centre, and Universiti Sains Malaysia's marinebiology research centre."Likewise, although Malaysia is the largest producer of palm oil in theworld, we should not be contented with merely exporting crude palm oil butmust go into higher value production of downstream products," he said.Koh was speaking at the joint inauguration of two new oleochemical plants-- the biggest in the world -- at Acidchem International Sdn Bhd and FattyChemical (M) Sdn Bhd here today.Present were Palmco Holdings Berhad executive chairman Tan Sri Lee ShinCheng, Kao Corporation (Japan) Global Chemicals president KuniakiWatanabe, and Japanese Consul General Naoharu Fujii.Also present were Acidchem International Sdn Bhd managing director DrBarry Tan, and Fatty Chemical (M) Sdn Bhd managing director KunizoHashiba.In line with the Government's policy to promote resource-based andbio-technology industries, Koh urged Palmco to engage in more research incollaboration with institutions such as USM and Palm Oil ResearchInstitute of Malaysia.Meanwhile, Lee said with the new plant, the Palmco group which will have acapacity of 330,000 metric tonnes of fatty acids a year, making it thebiggest oleochemical producer and the biggest vegetable-oil based fattyacid producer in the world."This is 10 times Acidchem's capacity of producing 30,000 tonnes of fattyacid per year when we started in 1980," he said.Acidchem's products, which are sold to more than 60 countries, are used insoap, personal care products, detergents, food and pharmaceuticals as wellas rubber tyres, plastics and lubricants.Kuniaki said with the new plant at Fatty Acid (M) Sdn Bhd, of which KaoJapan owns 70 per cent and Palmco 30 per cent, its production of fattyalcohol now accounts for 31 per cent of Asia's, and 15 per cent of theworld's natural fatty alcohol production.Kuniaki who said about 95 per cent of fatty alcohol's produced at theplant is exported to Japan, Europe, United States and also Asiancountries.He added that with the latest investment of RM150 million in fatty acids,the Kao group's cumulative investment in the industry was RM622 million.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 30: Starting Friday, petroleum will cost one sen moreper litre, diesel will cost two sen more per litre, while liquefiedpetroleum gas (LPG) two sen more per kilogramme.

KOTA KINABALU, Oct 28: Debating the State Budget for 2003, Datuk DrMaximus Ongkili (BN-Tandek), in debating the Budget, welcomed theGovernment's move to change the formula on collecting sales tax on crudepalm oil from Jan 1 next year.