Kok to focus on four core issues
I’ll ensure primary industries keep on raking in export revenue, says minister
PUTRAJAYA: Teresa Kok will focus on four core issues in her new role as the Primary Industries Minister.
She will work on improving the ministry’s services by making it more business and investor friendly; looking into the welfare of everyone involved in the commodities sector; improving the marketability of commodity products and exploring new markets.
Besides these, she will ensure there are more value-added products to fulfil international market demands by emphasising on research and development.
Kok said her ministry, previously known as the Plantation, Industries and Commodities Ministry, would ensure the continuity of the commodities industry across all value chains – from the upstream and downstream industries.
“This will be based on sustainable development in the preservation of the country's environment and biodiversity,” she added.
“It will be my main agenda to ensure the primary industries sector retains its place as one of the contributing sectors for the country’s export revenue, apart from the electric and electronics as well as oil and gas sectors,” she said at a press conference after clocking in for her first day at work here yesterday.
Also present were her deputy Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin and secretary-general Datuk Zurinah Pawanteh.
Kok said from January until April this year, revenue from export products were at RM43.5bil or 13.5% from the country’s total export revenue.
However, this figure is 7.1% lower compared to the RM46.8bil recorded for the same period last year.
Kok said that from January to April, palm oil products contributed about RM24.2bil or 55.5% of the export revenue, followed by rubber (RM10.2bil), timber (RM7.2bil), cocoa ( RM1.7bil), tobacco ( RM180.7mil) and pepper (RM74.6mil).
On plans to tackle the anti-palm oil movements, Kok said a strategic plan would be drawn up to see how industry players could counter the negative perception.
In January, the European Parliament passed a proposal to ban palm oil in biofuel from 2021.
During his visit to Indonesia, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad urged the country to join hands with Malaysia to counter the European campaign.
Malaysia and Indonesia are among the largest exporters of palm oil.