Lima proposes 70,000ha oil palm project to plantation giant Sime Darby

VLADIVOSTOK (Eastern Russia): Peru has offered Malaysian plantation giant Sime Darby 70,000ha for oil palm cultivation in a project that could be worth up to US$300mil (RM934bil), Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman said.

He said Sime Darby was now studying the offer as it was a major investment.

Anifah said this was the crux of the discussion between him and his Peruvian counterpart Rafael Roncagliolo Orbegoso on the sidelines of the 24th Apec Ministerial Meeting here yesterday.

“Peru asked for our assistance on this matter because they wanted to use oil palm plantations to combat illicit drug farms.

“They are hoping to convince their people to venture into the lucrative oil palm industry instead of growing illicit drug plants,” Anifah told Malaysian journalists.

He revealed that a similar offer was made by Colombia to Malaysia to provide expertise in oil palm cultivation as a commercial venture to replace such illicit farms.

Peru also wanted to learn from Malaysia's success in dealing with communist terrorists through the setting up of plantations and land schemes like Felda and Felcra, said Anifah.

He also met with his Canadian counterpart John Baird and they discussed various issues, including the education industry.

“I urged Canada to ask its top universities to set up branch campuses in Malaysia as its education institutions are popular with our students.

“I pointed out to the minister the fact that Australian and British universities have already established successful branch campuses in Malaysia,” Anifah said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is scheduled to have a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Apec Leaders Meeting tomorrow.

Najib, who arrives this evening, is expected to raise various bilateral issues with Putin.

The Prime Minister will have a busy three days here.

Besides Putin, Najib will also meet his counterparts from Australia Julia Gillard and Thailand's Yingluck Shinawatra.

On Sunday, Najib will have more bilateral meetings with some of the 21 economic leaders here.

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