KUALA LUMPUR, Organisations and individuals who contribute funds to the Malaysian Palm Oil Green Conservation Foundation (MPOGCF) for the Bornean Orangutan Conservation Program are eligible for tax relief.
MPOGCF General Manager Hairulazim Mahmud said that the tax relief, including for the main players in the Malaysian oil palm industry, was made in accordance with Subsection 44(6) of the Income Tax Act 1967.
He said that the donated funds will be used to implement various programs to preserve and conserve orangutans using an in-situ approach.
“Among them is working together to establish a ranger team consisting of experts to monitor the whereabouts, safety, and condition of the endangered animals. Funds can also be used for the planting of forest trees and fruits that are a source of food for Orangutans,” he said in a statement today.
According to the statement, Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani in his speech at the opening of the World Orangutan Day celebration organized
by MPOGCF in Sepilok on Aug 18, reiterated the commitment of the Malaysian government and the oil palm industry to the conservation of Bornean Orangutans.
Johari said that Orangutan diplomacy in-situ is the best method to address negative perceptions of Malaysia’s oil palm industry and invited Malaysian palm oil-importing countries to support the conservation program by adopting Orangutans.
Commenting further, Hairulazim said that the in-situ conservation of Bornean Orangutans was the MPOGCF’s idea as a result of discussions and sharing views with conservation experts, including players in the Malaysian oil palm industry.
‘This effort proves the high and pure commitment of the government through the MPOGCF and the palm industry players in conserving biodiversity, especially in the landscape of palm oil plantations,’ he said.
The in-situ approach refers to conservation activities conducted in natural habitats, either in forests or forest patches in oil palm plantations known as High Conservation Value (HCV
) areas.
Through this method, Orangutans are free to move, find food sources, and reproduce without any interference from humans or farming activities.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency