17/1/07 (The Star)  - PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia will go ahead with plans to merge three plantations firms to create the world’s largest listed oil palm planter, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said.

“A decision is made. It will proceed,” he told reporters at a function here yesterday.

Under a plan announced last November, a merged entity named Synergy Drive Sdn Bhd will absorb the assets of Sime Darby Bhd, Kumpulan Guthrie Bhd and Golden Hope Plantations Bhd to create the world’s largest listed palm oil group worth US$8.6bil.

The three firms had extended the merger deadline to Jan 29 from Jan 15 without saying why, raising concerns that the plan could run into snags. – Reuters