DR Mahathir Mohamad today dismissed claims that palm oil is a major cause of deforestation as baseless and unfair.

“Malaysia has been accused of putting development before the needs of our forests, and the issue of deforestation to make way for oil palm plantations has always been championed by our detractors,” said the prime minister when opening the Hutan Kita exhibition in Kuala Lumpur.

He said such allegations negatively impact the country, which depends highly on the palm oil industry to uplift the people’s socio-economic status.

“These claims are also detrimental to oil palm growers, who include some 650,000 smallholders, as well as another 1.5 million people employed throughout the supply chain.

“The truth is, the palm oil industry in Malaysia has been developed sustainably and responsibly… the government, adhering to Sustainable Development Goals, has put in place measures to ensure the industry does not cause environmental degradation and avoids unsustainable practices, such as the destruction of forests and wildlife habitats.”

He said the nation’s palm oil industry is focused on boosting productivity and yields rather than expanding plantation areas.

Restrictions on planting oil palm on peatland and in permanent reserve forests have also been imposed, he added.

“In line with this, the government has set the maximum arable land for oil palm cultivation at 6.55 million hectares by 2023. It is encouraging that Sarawak has imposed a moratorium… to not allow new planting activity on state land.

“Malaysia is proud to share our sustainable practices with the world. We introduced the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil certification scheme in 2013, and it will be made mandatory starting January 1 next year.”

Dr Mahathir added that the country has not reneged on its pledge, made at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, to maintain at least 50% forest cover.

“Malaysia’s forest cover is currently at 55.3%, or 18.28 million hectares of our total land area.

“This shows the nation’s will and commitment to conserve and sustainably manage our flora and fauna.”

He said the country continues to work hard to ensure economic development and environmental conservation go hand in hand.

“Having said that, although Malaysia has undertaken various efforts to prevent forest loss, we still face challenges stemming from our growing socio-economic development needs.

“A growing population brings with it increased demand for food, water and infrastructure, which places pressure on our forests.” – Bernama, August 23, 2019.