By Saiful Bahri Kamaruddin
Pix: Abd Ra’ai Osman

BANGI, Jan 4, 2016 – More than 50 school children learnt about biodiversity in the ecosystems of Oil Palm  and its implications for climate change.

The children learnt about the benefits and importance of oil palm plantations through this activity.

Coming from three schools around the Bangi area, they took part in the One-day Golden Palm Squad Camp programme at The National University of Malaysia’s (UKM) Nature Education Forest last December 29.

It was organised by the Sime Darby Foundation (SDF) and UKM’s Institute of Climate Change (IPI) in collaboration with the Faculty of Science and Technology (FST).

IPI Director Prof Dato’ Dr Sharifah Mastura Syed Abdullah, in her welcoming  remarks at the launch, expressed hope the children will realise that palm oil brings many benefits to the country in the form of nutritious food.

“We educate them about palm oil through the Golden Palm Squad. We produce palm fruit which is environmentally friendly. I am confident that these efforts will  pay off and in 10 years time we’ll see the results.

“We have to dispel the misconceptions about the country’s palm because of the anti-palm oil lobby overseas.

“This is the maiden launch of the golden palm squad. Then we will implement in the rest of the country,” she explained.

According to Prof Sharifah Mastura, who is the UKM-YSD Climate Change Chair-holder, a group of 20 FST  postgraduate students provided instructions in several activities organised for the one-day camp.

She said IPI prepared guidebooks and activities for children who participated.

“I was impressed with the success of our researchers compiling the information usually available in complex scientific terms, who adapted it for children to easily  understand. I myself became engrossed while reading the books that explained  the role of palm oil in the ecosystem and biological processes to produce palm oil, ” she said.

This one-day camp was launched by Hjh Yatela Zainail Abidin, CEO of YSD who told the UKM News Portal that the programme should be expanded to other states.

“We show the school children what can be found in oil palm plantations. Flora and fauna, among other things, insects and their connection with oil palm. Otherwise they would not know. We tell what the functions of the oil palm ecosystem. In oil palm ecosystems you can find trenches, there are trees. And the advantages of oil palm. Also the parts of the palm tree, such as the fruit and  branches.

“What are the animals linked to oil palm plantations, such as beetles which  pollinate the fruit of the oil palm. We hope that the information contained in these books can be used throughout the country in the future.

“If we do not do this to the children will have wrong ideas about palm oil when they read other sources such as the internet which is full of anti-palm oil propaganda. An avid reader will get the misconceptions easily. So we need to start early to get the right message through so that they really understand about palm oil.

“The golden oil is the second largest industry in our country, and it is important for us to tell the younger generation now before their minds are poisoned by the  anti-palm oil lobby,” she explained.

After this basic introduction programme sponsored by YSD, which concentrated on the interaction between organisms and palm trees within the ecosystem, Yatela proposed the IPI implement a plan to promote a cookery book of recipes  using ingredients palm fruits.

Program committee member Prof Madya Dr Norela Sulaiman, said one of the books published by YSD aimed to provide guidance on the ecosystem biology of oil palm, while the other was for taking notes and colouring pictures based on their own observations at the camp.

Among the activities organised is an introductory session on climate change and oil palm, visit to an  palm plantation, an introduction of plants and animals in the ecosystem and sample-taking.

In 2012, The UKM-YSD Chair for Climate Change was  established to continue current efforts to address climate change, the world’s most important environmental problem facing humanity.