Malaysia commended for U-turn on ‘orangutan diplomacy’, focus on conservation

The reversal is ‘a crucial step towards balancing economic growth with environmental sustainability’, the Worldwide Fund for Nature says

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A female Bornean orangutan carries her offspring at a rehabilitation centre in Sepilok, Malaysia. Photo: Reuters

Published: 2:18pm, 21 Aug 2024Updated: 3:42pm, 21 Aug 2024

Malaysia’s reversal of its plan to send orangutans overseas in an emulation of China’s “panda diplomacy” has been welcomed by conservationists who say it could boost fundraising to keep the primates in their vulnerable natural habitat.

Plantations Minister Johari Ghani on Sunday scrapped his earlier proposal to send the critically endangered Malaysian primates to other countries for adoption. Instead, he favoured on-site conservation by offering importers of Malaysian palm oil the opportunity to sponsor one or more orangutans. Palm oil plantations in the country are one of the key drivers behind the disappearance of the apes’ habitat.

The Malaysian arm of the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) said the about-turn was “not just a win for wildlife conservation but also a crucial step towards balancing economic growth with environmental sustainability”.

“Malaysia can showcase her commitment to orangutan conservation by conserving any remaining natural forests that are habitats for orangutans, including those in the palm oil plantations,” WWF Malaysia said on Tuesday.

Facing pressure from the European Union’s deforestation laws, which mandate traders who sell palm oil to the EU to prove their products have no links to deforestation, Johari mooted the idea of “orangutan diplomacy” to show Malaysia as a sustainable producer and its commitment to forest protection.

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Malaysia revises adopt-an-orangutan plan that would now let animals stay in natural habitat

WWF Malaysia was against that idea, instead calling for in situ orangutan conservation, supporting sustainable palm oil production and increasing international funding for conservation efforts.