Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas has issued stern reminders to millers and traders to stop dealing (buying and accepting) with stolen FFBs.
Speaking to reporters after declaring open a national oil palm smallholders conference yesterday, he said the Malaysian Oil Palm Board (MPOB) had issued show-cause letters to 13 licence holders, namely one miller, one smallholder and 11 FFB traders since its operation against this illegal activity started on July 1.
The operation was focused on critical areas, which included the Serian-Simunjan, Selangau and Miri-Marudi districts.
“The letter is to ask them why their licence should not be cancelled.
“I hope this will serve as a warning to all FFBs buyers be they millers or traders that they must not buy stolen FFBs,” he said.
Uggah said if the activity was not checked, it would bring a bad image to the industry in the state.
MPOB together with the state government and the police had intensified the enforcement programme against the illegal activity.
Uggah said theft was quite rampant in the state but not in Peninsular Malaysia.
The minister said all millers and FFBs traders were to keep a complete FFBs purchasing record and create a healthy business environment for the trade that involved millers, traders and smallholders.
MPOB enforcement officers on the other hand, are stationed at mills in the three districts’ areas to record information, including sellers’ identification, MPOB licence number, weighing ticket information, time of entry and time of exit.
“Enforcement officers are permanently assigned at static checkpoints near the areas of dispute. They record information, including lorry/vehicle registration number, type of lorry/vehicle, time of entry/exit and journey destinations,” he added.
These officers also conducted patrols and spot checks on mills and FFBs traders’ premises near the disputed areas.
In the first two weeks since the operation started in July, MPOB had detected FFBs suppliers selling more than the production of their plantations.
A total of 22 FFBs suppliers were recorded and identified as conducting FFBs transactions from suppliers with higher volume than their plantations’ output.
He said a total of 70 compounds for various offences were issued to FFBs traders and millers.
“The operation to fight FFBs theft will continue at the same areas as well as those to be identified later and at the same time MPOB will enhance its interaction with smallholders to educate them on the legal complications of involving in the sale and purchase of stolen FFBs,” he added.
Separately, Uggah said the Government had agreed to provide RM3,000 worth of fertilizer to smallholders for every 3ha of the crops below three years old.
He said this new scheme was implemented as there were oil palm smallholders who did not qualify for two other schemes as their crops were below three years old.
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