Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
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