17/08/2012 (The Star) - The Malaysian Palm Oil Board should revoke a ruling that sees smallholders selling unripe oil palm fruits being fined, said Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Datuk Chua Tee Yong.

With the maximum fine of RM250,000 or a three-year jail sentence or both, Chua said the ruling was too harsh, especially to the smallholders for an offence this “small”.

“Oil palm smallholders view the recent regulation as favouring the oil millers and penalising the smallholders heavily,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Chua, who is the Labis MP, said he received numerous complaints from his constituents who are oil palm smallholders.

“We also hear complaints that oil palm fruits would be confiscated by the millers if the fruits are not ripe and not returned to the smallholders.

“Some of the oil palm fruits can ripen in a day or two and this represents a loss to the smallholders,” said Chua.

He said that not only was the ruling detrimental to the smallholders, it would also eventually affect the industry where 30% to 40% were smallholders.

“We understand that some of the MCA leaders had highlighted this issue to the Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok.

“We will raise this matter at the central committee meeting so MCA ministers can bring this matter to the Cabinet and National Economic Council (NEC) as this new regulation impacts a lot of oil palm smallholders,” he said.