KUALA KANGSAR, Nov 19 — Orang Asli intending to sell oil palm fruit but lacking land grants and licences must refer to their state governments, said Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.
He said the requirements for land grants and licences apply to all players in the domestic palm oil industry.
“If such cases involve the Orang Asli, they should approach the state government, seek verification, and we can consider recognising the land as their property,” he said after officiating the World’s First AI-Based Smart Palm Oil Mill, a collaboration between Minsawi Industries (Kuala Kangsar) Sdn Bhd and Airei Sdn Bhd, here today.
He clarified that unauthorised deforestation for oil palm cultivation disqualifies Orang Asli from obtaining the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil certification, thereby preventing them from selling their produce.
Yesterday, media reports highlighted that Bera MP Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, a former prime minister, during a parliamentary debate urged the Malaysian Palm Oil Board to relax requirements for land grants and licences to sell oil palm bunches, arguing that these rules burden smallholders, especially the Orang Asli community.
Meanwhile, Johari said the requirement for land grants and licences to sell oil palm bunches was introduced to meet the European Union Deforestation Regulation’s standards.
He noted that Malaysia produces 18.6 million tonnes of palm oil annually and exports 13 to 14 million tonnes of that amount to China, India, and Europe.
To comply with European certification standards, he stressed that all oil palm plantations must have legal ownership.
— Bernama
