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Billions At Stake In Palm Oil Battle Over Orang-Utans

Malaysia fears a campaign pushing plantations' environmental threat will rock key export industry.

MALAYSIA is worried about the economic impact of a campaign by Western non-governmental organisations (NGOs) seeking protection for orang-utans whose habitat, they say, is being threatened by oil palm plantations.

The groups claim that forests in the region are being cleared to make way for bigger palm plantations, thus reducing the orang-utans' habitat.

While the campaign's main focus is Indonesia, Malaysia is affected as its territory includes the orang-utan's habitat on the Malaysian part of Borneo, and local firms are expanding plantations into Indonesian territory.

The Malaysian government has expressed its concern the campaign could affect consumer perception on palm oil.