31/05/2008 (The Age, Australia) - SIX months ago Daniel Clarke's desire to save the endangered orang-utans of Borneo and Sumatra and John Howard's desire for re-election melded perfectly.

Daniel, 11, who has cerebral palsy, appealed to the then prime minister for help when they met during a visit to the national rugby union team's rooms in May last year.

In November, Daniel became the focus of a YouTube video in which Mr Howard, appealing to young voters, pledged $500,000 over four years to the Australian Orang-utan Project (AOP). Then Mr Howard lost the election.

Environment Minister Peter Garrett has now introduced Daniel to the realities of politics. "Dear Daniel," wrote Mr Garrett in a letter received on May 14. "I write in relation to the former government's undertaking to the Australian Orang-utan Project to provide $200,000 in grant funding to support the work of the orang-utan units in Kalimantan, Indonesia.

"Unfortunately, there is no funding program available to support this activity."

"I was sad, very sad," said Daniel. "I would ask Mr Garrett: What is stopping you? Why isn't the Australian Orang-utan Project receiving the money? Why won't you honour John Howard's promise to me?"

Daniel, attending a primary school in Sydney's northern suburbs, has started a national "orang-a-thon" fund-raising project for primary schools.

A spokesman for Mr Garrett defended the Government's decision, saying it had a $30 million commitment to the Kalimantan Forest and Climate Partnership.

Australian Orang-utan Project vice-president Tony Gilding said the $500,000 helped in developing alternative economies for rainforest communities.

"John Howard personally promised me that the money would go to an Australian NGO, and we got a letter from Malcolm Turnbull saying the money would go to the AOP," Mr Gilding said. "The letter did not mention that the funding depended on the government's re-election."

Daniel Clarke intends to continue his campaign on behalf of orang-utans. "Please stop buying products that use palm oil because palm oil is why they are chopping the trees down — orang-utans' trees," he said. "We'll fix up the grown-ups' mistakes so we will live in a better world."

Malaysia and Indonesia produce 90% of the world's palm oil on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra — the only two locations where orang-utans still live in the wild.

Rainforest destruction has led to thousands of orang-utans being hunted, killed, orphaned, injured or sold into captivity. In two decades their numbers are estimated to have fallen from 200,000 to about 30,000.

Palm oil is used in many processed foods including ice-cream and biscuits, and in other products such as detergents, shampoos and for deep frying. In Australia, manufacturers are not required to declare palm oil on ingredients lists on food packaging.