Gov’t working to release map of oil palm plantations
The federal government is working to release maps of oil palm plantations in Malaysia to the public in a bid to improve transparency, said Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok.
She said this when asked to respond to Malaysiakini’s report that the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has withheld publishing the location of most RSPO-certified palm oil mills and plantations due to concerns over the Official Secrets Act 1972 (OSA)...
The federal government is working to release maps of oil palm plantations in Malaysia to the public in a bid to improve transparency, said Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok.
She said this when asked to respond to Malaysiakini’s report that the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has withheld publishing the location of most RSPO-certified palm oil mills and plantations due to concerns over the Official Secrets Act 1972 (OSA).
“The cabinet has decided on March 22, 2019, to open up the oil palm plantation maps.
“The Malaysian Palm Oil Board is working closely with relevant agencies and land offices of each state on this matter,” she told Malaysiakini in a series of text messages today.
She said this requires the cooperation of every state government, but no one has opposed the idea.
Previously, RSPO chief executive officer Darrel Webber had told reporters that it did not publish the locations of oil palm plantations and mills in Malaysia, except for Sabah, due to “legal constraints”.
Asked to explain, an RSPO spokesperson had told Malaysiakini that growers in Malaysia were concerned that they may run afoul with the OSA if the maps were released, although those with land banks abroad have willingly supplied maps of those areas instead.
Sabah is an exception to this because it has allowed the maps to be made public.
The location of RSPO-certified mills and plantations worldwide, except in Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak, can be viewed on the GeoRSPO webpage.
RSPO spokesperson Dan Strechay added that its own legal review on the OSA concerns was inconclusive.
The RSPO then contacted the Home Ministry in writing, he said, but the ministry has yet to clarify the issue.
Malaysiakini had contacted the Home Ministry for comment on Sept 21 and has yet to receive a response.
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