Oil palm planters have been asked to create “corridors’’ in their estates for wildlife, particularly the endangered orang utan, to roam in their natural habitats.

Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok said non-governmental organisations had raised their concerns on the impact of oil palm development on wildlife.

“The creation of such corridors will contribute towards a positive image on the part of the industry for taking onboard conservation issues.

“The effort will reflect the balancing of development needs and preservation of the environment,’’ he added when opening the first meeting between Malaysian and Indonesian oil palm growers at Kuching Hilton Monday.

At a press conference later, Dompok said he would meet Sabah wildlife director and oil palm plantation owners on the creation of such corridors for the animals.

He said the areas to be preserved as wildlife corridors would depend on the size of a plantation project. THE END

Source: The Star