Download Speech By Y.A.B Deputy Prime Minister, Opening Ceremony MICF

SPEECH BY Y.A.B. TAN SRI MUHYIDDIN YASSIN
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER OF MALAYSIA
OPENING CEREMONY OF MALAYSIAN INTERNATIONAL COCOA FAIR 2009
8 MAY 2009, 3:00 PM
BERJAYA TIMES SQUARE, KUALA LUMPUR
Assalamualaikum w.b.t. dan Salam Sejahtera
Yang Berhormat Tan Sri Bernard Dompok
Menteri Perusahaan Perladangan dan Komoditi Malaysia
Yang Berhormat Datuk Hamzah zainuddin
Timbalan Menteri Perladangan dan Komoditi Malaysia
Yang Berbahagia Datuk Wira Ismail Salleh
Ketua Setiausaha
Kementerian Perusahaan Perladangan dan Komoditi Malaysia
Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri Abi Musa Asaari Mohamed Nor
Pengerusi
Lembaga Koko Malaysia
Yang Berbahagia Dato’ Dr. Azhar Ismail
Ketua Pengarah
Lembaga Koko Malaysia
Did-dif Jemputan
Tuan-tuan dan Puan-puan sekalian
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
Terlebih dahulu, saya ingin merakamkan setinggi-tinggi kesyukuran ke hadrat Allah
S.W.T. kerana dengan limpah kurnia dan keizinannya jua, dapat saya bersama dengan
tuan-tuan dan puan-puan di Majlis Perasmian Malaysia International Cocoa Fair atau
MICF 2009 pada hari ini.
2.
Saya juga mengucapkan terima kasih kepada Kementerian Perusahaan
Perladangan dan komoditi Malaysia dan Lembaga Koko Malaysia kerana sudi
menjemput saya untuk hadir ke majlis ini.
3.
Izinkan saya untuk meneruskan ucapan di dalam Bahasa Inggeris.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
4.
It is indeed a great pleasure and an honor for me to be given this opportunity to
address and officiate the Malaysian International cocoa Fair 2009 or MICF. This is the
fourth MICF organized by the Malaysian Cocoa Board (MCB) and I would like to
congratulate the Board for continuing its effort in organizing such event. MICF is held
once in four years and this event is much awaited by both Malaysian and International
Cocoa Fraternities, who are present here today. To those international delegates who
have travelled from far to participate in this auspicious event, I would like to extend a
special welcome and wish you Selamat Datang.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
5.
The Plantation Commodity sector has indeed assumed an important role in the
Malaysian economy. Prior to our independence in 1957, the main crops planted were
mainly rubber, coffee and coconut. In those days, rubber and tin remained as the twin
pillars of the country’s economy, accounting for about 50% of the Gross Domestic
Products (GDP).
6.
Subsequently, through the various national development plans which
emphasized on poverty eradication, particularly in the rural areas, the Government had
undertaken a concerted effort by embarking on greater crop diversification program,
focusing on crops such as oil palm and cocoa. In terms of cocoa upstream
development, I understand that at its height, Malaysia used to be the largest producer
of cocoa beans in the world. However, as a result of a price decline in the 1990’s as well
as the spread of cocoa pod borer pest disease, many planters, including the
smallholders had switched to other crops, particularly oil palm.
7.
To further broaden the country’s economic base, the Malaysian Government
has, since the 1970’s, also undertaken a strategic industrialization program.
Manufacturing activities, involving both the foreign and domestic investments, were
promoted in the designated industrial zones. In this regard, one of the priority area
adopted by the Government was to develop the resource-based industries, including
those involving plantation commodities.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
8.
As envisaged in the industrial Master Plan, industries were encouraged to shift to
downstream processing of the commodities. The main purpose of such policy direction
was to enable the proliferation of higher value of added manufacturing activities,
resulting in creation of greater economic value, more employment opportunities and
increased national income.
9.
To further develop the commodity and agriculture sectors, the Government has
also encouraged research and development (R & D) activities to be undertaken
through the establishment of various dedicated government research institutions,
including:
- Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB)
-Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB)
-Malaysian Cocoa Board (MCB)
- Malaysian agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI)
10.
Consequently, over the years, the plantation commodity sector has evolved
from merely producing and exporting primary raw materials to producing semiprocessed, processed and finished products, thus generating more value-added
products to meet the growing world demand. As for cocoa, though the country is
currently no longer a main producer of cocoa beans, Malaysia is presently the fifth
biggest cocoa grinder in the world and the largest in the Asia Pacific region. The
Malaysian cocoa products such as cocoa butter, cocoa powder and cocoa paste as
well chocolates and cocoa-based confectioneries are presently being exported to
over eighty countries.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
11.
The Malaysian cocoa has indeed demonstrated a successful transformation of
the Malaysian commodity sector from a mere traditional producer of raw materials to
an exporter of a higher value added products. Though it has come a long way, I
believe opportunities are still plentiful for our cocoa industry. As the global society is
becoming more affluent, the demand for cocoa products is expected to increase. With
regard to this, the fact remains that the per capita consumption of cocoa, particularly
in the new economies such as China, India and Africa is still below the world’s average
of 600 grams per person per year.
12.
Hence, I would like to urge the Malaysian Cocoa Industry to capitalize on every
opportunity by intensifying efforts to produce distinctive, innovative and high quality
cocoa products. One possible way of promoting Malaysian Chocolates to niche
markets especially in the West Asian countries is by capitalizing on the country’s
capability and image as a HALAL hub.
13.
To supplement and complement the efforts of the private sector, the
Government through the ministry of Plantation industries and Commodities and the
Malaysian Cocoa Board will continue to support and further promote the development
of the cocoa industry. At the plantation level, I understand that cluster based
smallholders’ development programs to encourage higher and quality production of
cocoa beans through the adoption of Good Agricultural Practices will be intensified.
Such initiative would certainly facilitate the local cocoa processing industry in getting
high quality supply of raw materials for their operation.
14.
I also reckon that the Malaysian Cocoa Board has implemented a program to
develop small entrepreneurs in the production of home-made chocolates. To date,
there are 52 of such entrepreneurs and I would certainly like to see more of them to be
developed in the near future, in line with the Government’s objective of churning out
more agro- entrepreneurs in the country. Hopefully the proliferation of home-grown
local cocoa entrepreneurs would ultimately give rise to competitive Malaysian origin
global chocolate manufacturers with their own renowned brands in the world market.
In the long run, this would perhaps lead to Malaysia becoming the Switzerland of the
East in the global Cocoa market.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
15.
I certainly believe that all of us love chocolates because they are sweet and
delicious. However, Cocoa products are not only sweet and delicious but also proven
to be healthy and naturally nutritious. For example, the dark chocolate which has high
cocoa content contains flavonoids which can act as antioxidants in our bodies. Hence,
concerted and continuous efforts to promote the health benefits of cocoa products
should be undertaken. A better understanding of the attributes of cocoa products
would certainly generate a greater demand of the products in the market and
enhance the growth of the industry. And as the Minister of Education, I would certainly
support such efforts to educate the public particularly among the school children.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
16.
Once again, I would like to thank and congratulate the Ministry and the
Malaysian Cocoa Board for organizing MICF 2009. I understand the fair which comprises
three events, namely the exposition, conference and dinner, have attracted and
brought together a wide array of stakeholders in the cocoa industry, including the
manufacturers, entrepreneurs, policy makers, scientists and traders. Therefore, this event
is indeed a good avenue for all sectors of the cocoa community to come together for
the betterment of the industry. I certainly hope that MICF will be able to achieve its
objectives and all participants as well as the public would benefit from the various
activities that have been outlines in the fair.
17.
Akhir kata, dengan lafaz Bismillahirramanirrahim, saya dengan ini merasmikan
Malaysian International Cocoa fair 2009.
Sekian, terima kasih.
Timbalan Perdana Menteri Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur
8 May 2009