Borneo Post Online (22/11/2018) - KOTA SAMARAHAN: The Sarawak government will allocate RM5 million for the research on peat soil by the Sarawak Tropical Peat Research Institute (Tropi).

Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said journals on the findings of the research will help counter the campaign against the palm oil industry.

“This funding is also to be used to compile all the scientific and academic research in one book,” he said when attending Tropi’s 10th anniversary dinner and appreciation night held at its centre, here last night.

He added that the books, once they are made available globally, will also show Sarawak’s commitment to environmental conservation through proper planting of oil palm on peat soil based on the research by Tropi.

“We need to do a lot of research for people to better understand peat soil. It is vital to counter the negative perceptions of oil palm plantations establishedon peat soil,” said Abang Johari.

This, he pointed out, is important as 13 per cent of land in Sarawak is peat – forming up to 70 per cent of all peat land in Malaysia.

On another note, he also called upon Tropi to expand its scope to not only conducting research on oil palm, but also on other commodities.

“If you cannot get funds from the federal government, the GPS (Gabungan Parti Sarawak) government can give you funds,” said Abang Johari in response to an earlier speech by Tropi director Dr Lulie Melling, who lamented that the centre’s research budget from the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) had been terminated.

Meanwhile, Lulie in her speech said the RM3-million research grant from MPOB was terminated just as Tropi was about to publish the findings of its research in the High Impact Factor Journals.

“We have done so much for the oil palm industry which has also benefitted MPOB and the Ministry of Primary Industries; for example, in combating the EU’s (European Union) current bias against palm oil,” she said.

She added had the RM3-million MPOB allocation for research by Tropi was fully justified as Sarawak had been paying millions in oil palm cess to the federal government and last year, the total amount paid was RM53 million.

“Yet, our allocation of a mere RM3 million was recently terminated. Our research progress had been greatly crippled by the withdrawal of the much needed resources, just as Tropi has started to run as a world class laboratory,” she added.

She also said the centre was established under the mandate of the Sarawak government in June 2008.

“Tropi was established to counter the unjustified onslaught of world criticism of our attempts to convert peat lands into arable land.”

Lulie said that while the West has been blatantly utilising their peat lands unabated, their non-governmental organisations had been condemning the utilisation of peat soil for agriculture in Sarawak.

Among those present at the event were Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah, Minister of Utilities Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi, Minister of Education, Science and Technological Research Dato Sri Michael Manyin, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani, and Naim Holdings Berhad chairman Datuk Amar Abdul Hamed Sepawi.

Read more at http://www.theborneopost.com/2018/11/22/countering-negative-claims/