KOTA KINABALU: More than 30,000 smallholders in Sabah have achieved Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil certification across over 191,000 hectares as of April 2025.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor confirmed the certification rate now stands at 97.62%, ranking among the highest nationwide.
“This underscores collective progress and emphasises the importance of continued collaboration between government agencies, industry players, and smallholders to sustain and expand sustainable palm oil production,“ he said.
Hajiji stressed the crucial need for Malaysia to advance certification and traceability efforts to maintain international recognition and credibility.
“In Sabah, we are making progress where about 97 per cent of the planted area and over 92 per cent in Sarawak are now certified under the MSPO.”
“However, we must push toward 100 per cent inclusion, particularly for independent smallholders.”
“We are fully cognisant of the challenges the industry faces,“ he stated in his speech delivered by Sabah Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Datuk Phoong Jin Zhe.
The Sabah government has adopted the Jurisdictional Approach for Sustainable Palm Oil launched in 2015 to achieve full certification by 2030.
“This approach is more than administrative in nature,“ Hajiji explained.
“It is also a governance mechanism that allows all players in the palm oil value chain to work together under a unified framework.”
Sabah maintains its leadership with 1.48 million hectares under cultivation and annual output exceeding 4.2 million tonnes of crude palm oil.
The state alongside Sarawak accounts for over 55% of Malaysia’s total oil palm planted areas.
Hajiji emphasised that this success resulted from decades of hard work and collaboration across the entire supply chain.
“It is a testament to our shared commitment to balance economic development with environmental stewardship and social progress,“ he added.
The palm oil industry sustains livelihoods for more than 300,000 Malaysians and supports over 85,000 smallholders directly and indirectly.
Hajiji expressed confidence in the industry’s continued growth through strategic investment and strong governance. – Bernama
