Borneo Post Online (09/02/2018) - KUCHING: Members of Beluru Palm Oil Mill (BPOM) board of directors yesterday urged the group led by political secretary to the chief minister Alexander Asing Sadai, who opposed the setting up of the mill, to get their facts right.

BPOM chairman Datuk Sylvester Entri Muran said the group, comprising Persatuan Tuai-Tuai Rumah Beluru Marudi (PTRBM), should have approached BPOM board members to get better understanding of the project before going to the media.

Asing, who represented the association, had on Jan 15 held a press conference in Miri to voice out their opposition to the proposed mill at Sg Laong in Beluru.

“Alexander Asing, being a political secretary to the Chief Minister of Sarawak, should have verified whatever information passed to him by some members of the PTRBM against the setting up of the mill. As a political  secretary (to Chief Minister), he could have been more prudent in facilitating the correct information about the proposed mill,” Entri told a press conference yesterday

Held at the Sarawak Farmers Organisation (SFO) office at Jalan Ong Tiang Swee here, the press conference was attended by board members of BPOM, village chiefs from the area and land owners of small oil palm plantations in the area.

Entri, who is also SFO chairman, claimed that Asing and the group had triggered unnecessary alarm without fully understanding the economic rationale behind the importance and benefit of the project.

According  to Entri, some members of PTRBM who appeared with Asing at the press conference in Miri had been very supportive of the requests by oil palm smallholders for the setting up of the mill.

“But now they appeared to make a U-turn to oppose it despite knowing the benefits derived from the mill for reasons best known to themselves,” Entri pointed out, stressing that the majority of the oil palm smallholders agreed for the mill be set up.

He explained that the mill was actually initiated by SFO after considering concerted, strong and frequent demand by oil palm smallholders around Bakong and Baram since 2012, to alleviate the problems faced by them in selling fresh fruit bunches (FFBs) to the existing privately owned mills as well as to the collection centres.

Entri said the request was brought to the attention of then Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud during the 13th general election, to which Taib agreed.    On the BPOM, a joint venture company, he said it was incorporated on Sept 28 2015 to ensure that it would be economically viable to serve the oil palm smallholders in Bakong and Baram as a whole.

Proposed parties to the JV agreed upon by the government with equity shares distributed were DD Plantation Sdn Bhd (40 per cent), SFO (30 per cent) National Farmers Organisation (Nafas) at 20 per cent and members of Baram Area Farmers Organisation (PPK) at 10 per cent.

The shares of the oil palm smallholders and members of PPK Baram who invested in the mill would be managed through Farmers Special Investment Scheme (Skim Pelaburan Khas Peladang) under Act 109 of Farmers Organisation 1973, he explained.

“So the allegation by Alexander Asing and PTRBM that the mill would serve to benefit only certain parties is unfounded and cannot unjustifiably discourage the oil palm smallholders and members of PPK Baram from investing in the mill,” he said.

Entri also stressed that DD Plantation Sdn Bhd, which is one of the investors of the mill, had the experience on the establishment of mills in accordance with the requirements of Department of Environment (DOE).

He added that such requirements by DOE apply to any proposed mill to ensure that the establishment of the mill would not be detrimental to the environment as alleged by Asing.

Read more at http://www.theborneopost.com/2018/02/09/entri-debunks-accusation-by-group-on-beluru-palm-oil-mill/