Lombard, Levy, and Zeghdad posing with a palm oil fruit bunch at Felda Trolak.
KOTA KINABALU: Frenchman Mimoun Zeghdad used to have a negative impression of the palm oil industry. But that is in the past.
His perception changed after learning about the industry up, close and personal following a week-long visit to plantations and factories in Sabah and the Peninsular Malaysia.
“All along, I have been hearing negative remarks about the palm oil industry from the western media and non-governmental organisations. They are saying that it is displacing the animal habitats, destructing the forests and many more.
“As a learned man, I started to wonder and really wanted to see it myself,” said Zeghdad, adding that the curiosity had motivated him to enter an online competition just to find out how much he knows about the palm oil industry in Malaysia.
The new graduate said he was happy when told that he had won the competition, which came with an interesting prize – an all-paid trip to Malaysia for a week sponsored by the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC).
Apart from Zeghdad, two other Frenchmen also won similar prizes, namely Patrick Lombard and Stephane Levy.
The trio were met during their Sabah leg tour recently, to which Zeghdad was quick to tell how enlightened he was after visiting the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) office in Bangi and palm oil plantations and factories around the country.
Lombard, who shared Zeghdad’s doubts on the credibility of the western media reports, said he too was questioning the negative connotations associated with the industry, while Levy, a banker, said that he entered the competition for the trip, but later summed up his experience as an “eye-opener”.
They, however, had a common agreement that Malaysia should invite more press from the western world to witness how the industry operates in the country for themselves.
“Perhaps, the Malaysian authorities should conduct more campaigns there,” said Lombard.
During the stay in Sabah, the Frenchmen were brought to visit the industry in operation at Felda Trolak, and several other plantations in Sabah. They also visited the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre where they witnessed the government’s commitment towards animal preservation.
“I learnt that the government here is very serious in its conservation programme, besides having forest reserves put aside for the animals, the authorities also create forest corridors to link the forests so the animals such as orang utans will have a bigger place to roam,” said Lambard who admitted that he was unaware of the fact before his visit here.
Levy was impressed and described the conservation programme in Sabah as ‘unique’.
“They take care of the orang utans, and they live in the forests, not in the zoo like in the western world. In Europe, the conservations of wildlife are not better,” he said.
As for Zeghdad, his visit to Sepilok really showed him that preservation and conservation of animals were a serious business in the country.
“There was no indication of animal mistreatment or abuse as claimed by the NGOs in the west.
“We will do what we can within our means to correct the western negative perceptions of the industry when we get back. The people there should visit Malaysia to understand more,” Zeghdad added.
The week-long stay in Malaysia proved to be a fruitful and educational trip for the three men.
“The people are more open, friendly, and helpful,” said Lombard, while Zeghdad enjoyed the food the most.