Govt urges rubber producers to go high-tech

TAIPING: The rubber industry has been encouraged to use high-technology and the latest development to reduce labour cost especially to cut its dependence on foreign labour.

Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong, said the usage of high-technology would also help to increase production and hence contribute to the nation’s economy.

He said exports of rubber products from Malaysia hit RM18.12 billion last year, a growth of 0.9 per cent compared with 2015.

“Exports of rubber gloves contributed RM14.6 billion to export value or 80.7 per cent out of the total rubber products exports in 2016. For the first quarter of 2017, exports of rubber gloves recorded an encouraging increase to RM4.02 billion from RM3.20 billion in the same period last year,” he told reporters after visiting Latexx Manufacturing Sdn Bhd’s factory at the Kamunting Industrial Area here yesterday.

Latexx Manufacturing is among the world’s five biggest rubber glove producers for the medical industry, employing 7,000 workers.

Besides that, Mah said it was projected that the rubber glove industry was planning to invest up to RM7 billion until 2020 to expand production capacity and increase production efficiency.

He added that in increasing the use of natural rubber in the country, the government through the cooperation with the Malaysian Rubber Board and Public Works Department had implemented a pioneer project in using rubber in roads in Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Pahang and Kelantan.

“The preliminary study results found that the use of rubber could improve the quality and performance of the roads and it is expected to reduce road maintenance costs in the long term,” he said. — Bernama