10/05/2011 (Bernama) - Golden Pharos Bhd (GPB) plans to go into oil palm husk processing and export its product to China as a material for producing mattresses.

GPB Chairman Datuk Zubir Embong said the company would engage an experienced local company to undertake the husking job.

"In Terengganu, there are thousands of acres of oil palm plantations and surely there is a plentiful supply of husks which can be processed for exports and China needs this material in huge amounts," he told Bernama here Monday.

He said GPB would also revive the Permint plywood factory which was closed five years ago, and use it to process the oil palm husks and also rehire the retrenched workers.

At the initial stage, about 30 to 35 former workers would be rehired and when the factory wanted to raise production, more jobs opportunities would be offered to the local residents.

Zubir said this new venture was still at the trial stage and if it went well, GPB would also like to collect coconut husks.

"Here, we need cooperation from the village development and security committees and individuals to get the people to sell coconut husks to GPB for processing for the purpose of exporting it to China," he said.

He said GPB's core business was the management of logging concessions. Presently, it operates 88,000 hectares of logging areas in Terengganu.

He said the logs were processed at GPB's factories, namely Pesaka Timber Terengganu Bhd in Bukit Besi and Pesama Timber Bhd in Kemaman.

GPB is 59.4-per cent owned by Terengganu Incorporated Sdn Bhd. Besides logging, the company is also involved in the production of wooden planks, other wood-based products including doors and decorative glass panels.