27 March 2012
We flew to Phuket, Thailand, for a short holiday break and it was indeed a pleasant trip. Phuket is really a holiday destination. Tourism is the big thing there. The locals are proud of the services they can offer to the holiday makers. We had good food, relaxing massages, and spent our time mostly outdoors.....

Whatever they say, I still prefer a Thai massage anytime!

Working in Malaysia

9 March 2012
My son Ammar Zaid, who is a graduate of Middlesex University in United Kingdom, has just been offered a job with Maybank, a premier banking institution in Malaysia. Syukur Alhamdullillah, after all his hard work in his studies and effort in job-hunting since he came back from England in early 2012, he has been offered a job at last.
Welcome to working life in Malaysia. All the best in your career, my son.
Psst...I had been working with the Government for the past 32 years before my retirement in 2005. It was a rewarding career for me....Afterall these years, I realised that I was in the wrong industry!. But I am glad that I am now an entrepreneur doing a small business in the retail trade. And I realised that whatever experience and training I have had in the government service proved useful for me to practice them in the world of small business.

Entrepreneurship Development

1 December 2011
I have been approached by a local University to be a part-time lecturer in Entrepreneurship Development last September . Hence, I started doing so in November 2011. My job is to motivate the students to start up business, particularly in the Kindergarten and Early Childhood Education sector. Entrepreneurship development is vital to our Malaysian economy, The future of our economy lies in the small and medium scale business, and encouraging small and business entrepreneurs is of the utmost challenge for me. As Bill Rancic (of Donald Trump's Reality Show Apprentice fame) once said, "Fear is the greatest hurdle in small business". I totally believe this....nobody wants to loose money, which businessman like to see their investment go down the drain without any ROI. In the business world, everybody wants to profit.
Hence, my job of nurturing the impressionable minds of the youthful students is a challenging one indeed. How do I tell the students not too make too much profit out of their kindergarten charges when prices of educational toys, food and other services are escalating. This is where business ethics exercised by the kindergarten owners play an important role in operations of the centre.
Our religion Islam taught us to be fair to our customers. Excessive profits is not the practice in Islam. Muslims around the world believed there is Life after Death, unlike other religion whose followers lived only for this world. Therefore, their business ethics differ totally - they are out to make a good profit and fast. It is now or never!
I just hope my approach is acceptable to the students, comprising 99% and 1% Christian.

Life must go on....

4 February 2011
Friday 4 February 2011 is the saddest day in my life.( next to Wednesday 13 January 1982, when my late father died 29 years ago). My mother, 84,  passed away peacefully that Friday. She has had a wonderful life, leaving behind a brood of children aged between 63-53, well brought-up and  successful in their own little ways.
Al - Fatihah......Semoga Allah mencucuri rahmat ke atas rohnya. Semoga kubur Mak senantiasa di terangi dengan amalan yang telah Mak taburkan dan doa yang kami senantiasa di bibir kami. Semoga Mak telah berjumpa Ayah (seperti di dalam mimpi cucunda Nawal dan Aie). Semoga Mak bahagia disisi Ayah yang Mak merindui sejak 29 tahun dahulu. Semoga Mak dan Ayah sejahtera di alam barzah...sehingga kita semua berjumpa sekali lagi di dalam Syurga nanti......insyAllah.

Lifelong Learning

14-25 March 2011
Once again, my doa to be Tetamu Allah telah di makbulkan sekali lagi. My family of 15 members boarded the MAS flight to Jeddah enroute to Madinah Al-Munawwarah and Mekah Al-Mukarammah on 14 March 2011 to perform our Umrah (Small Haj). I feel very blessed to be in Masjidil Haram again....Alhamdullillah.
The landscape in Mecca has changed tremendously, no more small peddlers doing their business along the roadsides like before just before and after each solat/prayer. Big tall skyscrapers now dominate the skyline of the Holy City - the latest one Zam Zam Towers, known to be the tallest clock tower in the world, joining the earlier hotel blocks like Mekah Hilton, Inter Continental Hotel (formerly Sheraton), and still more blocks coming up facing the Umrah Gate.
Performing the Umrah or small Haj is a cleansing exercise for all Muslims, spiritually. We beg forgiveness from Allah The Almighty, to forgive whatever we had done, consciously or unconsciously, to our relatives, friends or foes. Upon leaving Mecca after the Tawaf Wida', we are actually without any sins at all, just like litlle new-borns, all our wrongdoings and sins have been cleansed by Allah, the Most Merciful.
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Syukur Alhamdullillah.....Ya Allah ya Tuhan ku! Jangan lah di jadikan tawaf dan ziarah hamba Mu ini sebagai kali yang penghabisan di Baitullah. Jika sekiranya ditakdirkan menjadi kali yang akhir maka aku memohon syurga sebagai gantinya dengan kemurahan Mu, ya Tuhan Yang Maha Pemurah lagi Maha Penyayang.
To me, the more we learn Al-Quran, the more jahil we become. To learn the Quran and the Sunnah Nabi is a lifelong learning process. Muslims are required to "Tuntutlah ilmu sehinggga ke liang lahad"

Lifelong Learning

1-3 March 2011
I feel happy and satisfied attending the Workshop on Harmonization of MPOB Codes of Practice(CoP) at MPOB HQ in Bangi for the past 3 days. The refresher course conducted by an experienced Consultant for MPOB is indeed an introduction to the world of technical auditing for me. I now understand why any industry see the need to get themselves audited - more so to improve on their work processes in order to cut costs, maintain a good public image. For MPOB, it is to assist the palm oil industry of Malaysia to produce Sustainable Palm Oil. Once the Board achieve its goal of becoming a Certified Body(CB), it would be in a better position to compete with RSPO(Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil) to guide all organizations in the palm oil supply chain in the country to practice quality management sytems, hence to produce good quality products and services. I personally feel that MPOB should stand tall, despite various challenges and threats posed by RSPO and other green NGO's, being the most authoritative body on the oil palm / palm oil.
Personally, it was wonderful for me to meet up old colleagues who are still serving the organization with loyalty, dedication and a fierce sense of belonging to the organization, the same feeling I had before I retired way back in 2005. Becoming an auditor in MPOB is one way for me to serve the Industry again and this is what I would like to do while I still can for Palm Oil........
Psst....I accidentally bumped into my former staff, Pn Robiah and Cik Noraziah on the way out there and one of them asked me...Datin belajar lagi? Of course, learning never stop, learning is for life!

Penang - Pearl of the Orient

8 January 2011

We took a trip to Penang over the weekend. Next to my hometown Malacca, the Pearl of the Orient never fail to impress me. We stayed at a beach hotel over looking the sea. Whenever I am on the beach, any beach for that matter, I cannot resist picking up sea shells. If I were to take count of the number of shells I pick up at all the beaches I have visited.....But the biggest shells I have collected at those from Hong Kong when we were served deliciuos seafood for dinner and I could not help putting the shells aside to take home after eating the insides.

Sea shells, from time immemorial, have been used as a currency for trading, just like coins, beads and other collectibles. Sea shells are unique in themselves because no two shells are really alike, in terms of shape, size, colour and pattern. To me, sea shells form a piece of the natural heritage from the sea.
We also went about town, walking the old streets along  Jalan Kapitan Keling, the ancient Kapitan Keling Mosque, Lebuh  Chulia and the surrounding area.  It was nostalgic to walk along these historic streets where so much trade was transacted during the early days when Penang, being the first British Straits Settlement in the late 18th century, was a bustling trading post. More than two centuries of unique history and heritage makes George Town a worthy recipient as a UNESCO World Culural Heritage Site in 2008, similar to Malacca.

Wedding Anniversary

1 January 2011

We were invited to the 5Oth Golden Wedding Anniversay of Tan Sri Arshad Ayob and Pn Sri Zaleha Arshad at the Sime Darby Convention Centre. They are an amazing couple!

Pn Sri Zaleha, as always, looked so resplendent and "bridal" in her white lace kurung ensemble, and her blue turquoise and diamond necklace and earring set highlighted her attire even more that anniversay nite.  Looking at them both inspired us, the younger couples,  to live a wonderful life together, just like them, surrounded by their 7 children and grandchildren totalling 26!

NB: Tan Sri Arshad is a a great leader who never forget his humble roots. His greatest contribution is having successfully nurtured and developed the critical mass of Bumiputera professionals and entrepreneurs trained at UiTM (formerly known as MARA College in the 1960's) and now have formed the backbone required to  contribute towards nation building and prosperity of our beloved country Malaysia.
Psst....I am humbled to be given the 2nd Chance to go for further studies to do my Masters based on the Associateship of the Library Association(ALA) that I obtained at ITM in 1969-1971.

Birthday Celebrations

31 December 2010
Today is the end of the year 2010. For me, the coming of any new year is an ocassion to celebrate because my birthdate is 30th December. Therefore, any new year celebration is also a celebration for me, I put it that way. I attended a company dinner which was held on 30 December 2010, attended by the staff and their family members. The dinner was well attended, well represented, a true 1Malaysia gathering! We had a wonderful time. They gathered all the staff born in the month of December and all of us cut the birthday cake together. I turned sweet 16!
Psst....On the way to dinner, I got a surprise call from London.  My son Ammar wished me  Happy Birthday Mama. That actually is the climax of my birthday celebrations and made my year 2010 complete.

Happy New Year to all. May 2011 be a better year for all of us wherever you are. To all Muslims, this is still the month of Hijrah, so berhijrah lah untuk menjadi Ummah yang senantiasa mengingati Allah.

Palm Information Centre, MPOB

30 December 2010
Today 30 December 2010 marks my 5th year of retirement from the Malaysian Palm Oil Board(MPOB). Five years ago on 30th December2005, the staff of the Palm Information Centre organised a farewell and retirement gathering for me at Anjung Sawit of the Palm Information Centre. It was a very memorable experience for me because after 33 years in the government service, I realised that I was retiring. However for me, retirement is just a change in career (I found out later). That day, I tried hard to retain my feelings inside me because deep in me, I actually was very very sad, having to leave my beloved staff, especially the senior ones who had been with me through thick and thin, planning and executing the duties and responsibilities of the former PORIM Library (now known as Palm Information Centre or popularly known as PMS for short), whom I had grown to trust and love throughout the years working with them - people like Pn Sakinah, Pn Robiah, Pn Norizan, Noraziah, Nor Lijah,  NorAzman, Fuad, Ghazali, Saadiah, Amin, Ariff, Fatimah Hanim, Shahrul Aida, Rafidah....without their dedication and support, I would not have developed the Centre. Kindly go to http://palmoilis.mpob.gov.my/Vtour/index.htm for a glimpse of our small contribution to MPOB and our beloved country Malaysia.
NB. I had the opportunity of meeting up the former Director-General of MPOB recently.  He asked me whether I visit the Centre and I wholeheartedly informed him that ..."saya sayu hati nak pergi balik ke MPOB sebab saya terima beberapa maklumbalas menyatakan yang PMS kini tak sama macam PMS dulu. Galeri  tidak di kemaskini dengan baik; Produk Palmshoppe pun tak banyak seperti dulu; keseluruhan PMS sudah hilang keceriannya....". Even the virtual tour of 5 years ago which I developed before was never updated.
On another ocassion, I was also approached by the former Chairman of MPOB to come and discuss with him regarding the information requirements of the palm oil industry. But I never did because my principle in life is that  once I leave an organization, I leave clean without any strings tied.
In December this year, I was on the audit panel of an auditing company. I was pleasantly surprised when the librarian commented that the Palm Information Centre is the benchmark for the library development in Malaysia. I felt humbled and at the same time proud of our achievement in setting an example for the library and information industry in Malaysia. Hearing this comment made me feel very sad since the Centre has lost its glory of yesteryears.
As a founder and former Head of Unit of PMS, I feel saddened  by the unsatisfactory comments and "hati tersangatlah sayu untuk menjejaki kaki ke PMS, satu-satunya peninggalan saya di MPOB..."   

Cameron Highlands Again

24th November 2010

I had the opportunity of visiting Cameron Highlands again because my better half was invited to speak on his company's latest products, the 1-Rod Anchor System and the 4DEC Net at the JKR Seminar on Effective Slope Stabilization held at the Sultan Ahmad Shah Golf Resort at Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands.

I learned that water is the main culprit behind landslides and other earth movement, as manifested by the Bukit Antarabangsa tragedy in 1994 when 48 victims died. I also learned that the 1-Rod Anchor System(Patent pending) is the best system for effective slope management. Once installed, the site is maintenance-free. Their other product, 4DEC Net is also an environmentally product because after installing the anchor system, the site is covered with the Net that allows grass to grow, hence greening the environment.    

Having an eye for anything beautiful, I love to see the picturesque view of tea plantations, reminding me of my first visit to Cameron Highlands on a school trip way back in 1966. The view of the tea plantations remain unchanged. However, the surrounding areas had changed due to the development of the economy up the hill resort. There are many shophouses, restaurants, hotels and resorts, the weather is much warmer now than before. We were staying at the Strawberry Park Resort Hotel overlooking the greenery around us.

NB. The 4DEC Net has to compete with an earlier product that I know ie the EcoMat made of oil palm fibre. This Malaysian product has been widely exported to China, the biggest traditional market for our palm oil and used effectively at the Gobi Desert to prevent soil erosion due to heavy winds.

Birthday Celebrations

19 November 2010

NOVEMBER 19 is a historic date for the Aziz family because we celebrate this date every year without fail, big or small. This time, all of us chose to go to the FELDA plantation resort at Sg Klah (again!). Our children and grandchildren (now 3 in number) loved it very much. We had fun time, dipping ourselves in the the natural hotspring, and later celebrating their Dad (and Tok Dad's) birthday in the room that we bunked in together. I felt the family closeness together, but deep inside my heart I do wish my son Ammar would have been with us at that time. Nevertheless, we had quality time together, amidst the wonderful ambience provided by the oil palm trees providing the backdrop to our weekend getaway.

NB...The sulphur content in the natural hotsprings can heal skin irritations; the green moss from the hotspring can smoothen your outer skin. The staff told me that the hotsprings, if regularly visited can cure weakness in the knees and paralysis. They noticed over time that an elderly man kept on immersing himself in his wheelchair on his regular visits there. In 6 month's time, he was moving around without his wheelchair. This is a very good testimony of  the healing and therapeutic characteristics of natural water from the hotspring.
Psst....I tried the traditional massage at the Spa Village, very relaxing indeed but the service can be improved. I have tried various massages in the course of my overseas visits to Thailand, China, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam. Nothing can beat the Thai massage at the Wat Temple. The masseau would bend your body over and your bones would give out cracking sounds! Your tired legs would be able to walk again, without feeling any pain at all. Very true to their claims! Practitioners in traditional massage in Malaysia must strive to develop a certain characteristic that is unique about them. Otherwise, traditional massages at the spas would not be able to market their services in the competitive wellness industry.   

Hotspring water has therapeutic values 

Sunday 14 November 2010

Today I took the opportunity to visit an exclusive eco-resort, Tanah Aina,  in Bentong, Pahang. And what a wonderful time I had experiencing  the back-to-nature feeling. The visit was made more meaningful because we were given a conducted tour of the 5 resort facilities by the gracious host herself, Pn Sri Sabrina.






The River



The Beautiful Backdrop

All the 5 resorts were beautifully designed to fit the terrain of the orchard land - the hills, the waterfall  and the river - and decorated with such exclusive taste by the owner herself. The most attractive common feature of all the resorts is the serene and picturesque backdrop of surrounding environment.
For further information, please go to http://www.tanah-aina.com/

Along the way, we stopped by an Orang Asli settlement, comprising 13 families, and we donated some food and clothing items. Tok Batin, the headman of the settlement, was there to receive the goodies.

NB. The environment especially the hilly areas around the Bentong has been ravaged by development. We could clearly see hilly slopes being cleared for oil palm cultivation, which to my mind is a good development because the forest clearing is being replanted with new vegetation, this time our golden crop, the oil palm. Despite many foreign-based environmental groups condemning our Malaysian government on the cultivation of oil palm, I stand by the belief, backed up by authoritative R and D facts and figures that Oil Palm Feeds the World, Greens the Earth!

Happy Deepavali

5 November 2010
This year, Deepavali falls on 5th November, coincidentally my first grandson's birthday. So in a way, we celebrated his 4th birthday bash at Saujana Resort, the residence of my beloved niece, who kindly hosted the celebrations. So, another family gathering, this time an outdoor one at the gazebo around the swimming pool.

The next day, we took a drive around Little India@ Brickfields which recently was officially opened by our Prime Minister, YAB Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. The VIP guest was the Prime Minister of India himself, Mr Man Mohan Singh. His Excellency's visit to Malaysia resealed the very good diplomatic relations we have had with India in terms of trade as well as social relations. Malaysians looked up to India, being the oldest democracy in Asia. India too is the greatest traditional market for palm oil, Our Golden Crop. Historically speaking, the British brought in Indians to work at our rubber plantations in the 1880's when the East India Company started the rubber industry in the then Malaya. So, Malaysia and India have many things in common, then and now.
The development of Little India at Brickfields is a deserving project to promote tourism in Malaysia. I personally loved to visit Brickfields to get some Indian trinkets here and there. However, we have to make sacrifices in the face of development - the old Pines, which used to be the favourite haunt for many people wayback in the 70's - is no longer there. New eateries took their place. Many shops and eating outlets were still closed because of the Deepavali holiday break.
We stopped by for lunch at Nagas, a newly revamped restaurant serving dosai, chapatti, briyani rice and other Indian delicacies.  While eating our sumptious meal, my eyes caught an advertisement on the noticeboard of  the restaurant. It is about a book called the Malaysian Indian Dilemma. A best seller, it says. Must be interesting reading.....
Psst...Happy Deepavali to all our Indian friends. May the Festival of Lights enlighten our lives in the spirit of 1Malaysia.
Today 8th Nov 2010, the Star highlighted Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's statement, "We want to achieve a developed nation status and no one race can do it without the support and commitment from the other races. We are not only taking about the Malays, the Chinese, the Indians; but all ethnic groups, including those in Sabah, Sarawak and the Orang Asli."

Have a Cuppa Tea...

Boh puts the Ummph in Your Life!

The Tea Tree - must be many years old, looking at the moss-covered trunks and branches

Sunday 31 October 2010

Today, I went up Cameron Highlands just to accompany my other half who has some work to do up there.  What a wonderful time we had  visiting the Boh Tea Plantation at Sg Palas. We also visited the Tea Cafe, the Tea Gallery as well as the Tea Factory owned by Boh Tea Plantations. The moment we reached the Tea Cafe, I felt like I was in some foreign land because the weather, the ambiance, the feel and the facilities around were clean and welcoming. It was only later after touring the Galeri and Exhibition that we found out that Boh Tea Plantation is owned by a Md Salleh, Caroline Russell, the great, great grandchild of the founder, John Russell. Way back in the1930's, John Russell foresaw the potential of tea production in Cameron Highlands, which is situated about 1,500 metres above sea level. Boh Tea's tagline is Boh Puts the Ummph in your Life! I rather like the tagline of another tea plantation, Bharat Tea Plantation, down the road at Tanah Rata. It says Any Time is Tea Time, very Malaysian  indeed!

NB : The Chinese history of tea began in 2737BC when Chinese Emperor Shen Nung sat beneath a tree waiting for his servant to boil drinking water. A leaf from the tree fell into the water and he decided to try out the brew from the wild tea tree. The Indians too have a saga on the tea. It was said that Gautama Buddha tore his eyelids off and threw them on the ground because he fell asleep despite vowing to remain awake during a pilgrimage. His eyelids took root and germinated into tea plants that sprouted leaves the shape of eyelids.

Legends abound, the tea have found a permanent place in the lives and hearts of diverse people in the world for over 4,500 years. The English enjoy their afternoon tea with hot scones. The Muslims in Mecca break fast with their tea (called chai) and dates. Malaysians are now mixing their tea with all the specific herbs, Misai Kuching, Mas Cotek, Pandanus Leaves, not only for the flavour but also to benefit from their healing properties. Assoc Prof Dr Faridah Qamaruz Zaman of Universiti Pertanian Malaysia(UPM) told me that the University had come up with tea made from oil palm leaves. I suppose this is to take advantage of the abundance of the vitamin E content in the palm leaves.

It is well known fact that tea drinking is a healthy habit. Tea leaves contain flavanoids and other antioxidants which are healthy for the total body system.

Psst...Have you had your cuppa today?

Visiting London

28 October 2010
Through Facebook, I discovered that an old friend of mine has gone into the travel and tours business. She and husband is operating a holiday service to visit London, providing accomodation and other travel facilities in and around the UK. Go to http://www.mhhlondon.blogspot.com/ and you can choose all the attractive travel itinerary to the popular tourist attractions in UK. Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, London Eye for first-time travellers to the UK; trip to the Cotswalds for the nature lovers; Stratford-Upon-Avon for the literary enthusiasts; Roman Baths for the history lovers, and many many more.
I have always loved London since my University days in 1975. Being a student then, I seldom had the chance to travel because of study commitments and financial constraints. The city of London has certain charms that only someone who has been there knows how to describe them. Somehow, once you visit London, you want to go back there again and again and again.....
Pssst....I love London but that does not mean I love Malaysia less!

Happy Birthday Celebrations

23 October 2010
What a wonderful time we had at Tan Sri Salleh's 70th birthday bash at Pondok De Rimba situated at his hometown, Dangi, Kuala Pilah, Negri Sembilan. Invitees who came all the way to celebrate his birthday came from all walks of life, I could see that. Old friends and families came by the dozens....His so called pondok is so sweet with a beautiful tangga Melaka going up the house. Tan Sri Salleh obviously documented all of his life achievements by framing all his credentials and displaying them on the walls of his Anjung. What a meaningful personal gallery he has there for him and his friends to reminisce his track record of achievements.
The Palm Oil man Tan Sri Augustine S H Ong was there with his charming wife, forever looking young as ever.  Its the palm oil, I think that is behind the heathy ageing and living.
Tan Sri Salleh told me personally, just as we were leaving, that he shall invite us over again for his 110 th birthday!  InsyAllah.....Tan Sri, dipanjangkan umur, di murahkan rezeki. We shall be there...

Melaka 2010 - Developed City

20 October 2010

20/10/2010 is a proud day for Malacca - the historical state in Malaysia. Today, Malacca (Melaka in Malay) is officially declared as a "developed state" and finally recognised  so by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Jon Hall, who has been leading the OECD's Global Project on Measuring the Progress of Societies, said Malaccans had higher than the OECD's minimum levels in virtually all indicators.
To commemorate this auspicious occasion, the Malaccan government launched the monorail along the Malacca River, running from Taman Rempah (Spice Garden) in Pengkalan Rama to Kampung Bunga Raya Pantai in the heart of the historic city. The RM15.9m project is part of the state's aim to further tap the potential of the Malacca River as a tourist attraction.
Reliable sources told me that the Malacca River Cruise will in future be expanded to cruise along the Linggi River. Hope this will come true because way back in the late 90's, 3 of us bought an orchard lot each in Linggi, for reasons of our own. Hopefully, we can harvest some returns from our investment with the expansion of the River Cruise., insyAllah....

Oil Palm - Replanting

19 October 2010
The Star today carried a news column on oil palm replanting, highlighting the role of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board(MPOB) on this issue. This semi-government agency under the Ministry of Plantation Management and  Commodities is entrusted with the job of encouraging oil palm smallholders to replant their trees with higher-yielding clones once the palms passed thier economic life of 25 years. The smallholders will be given cash of RM1000 per acre if they undertook this replanting scheme with MPOB. However, response from the scheme has been lukewarm. The big players in the palm oil industry too are delaying to replant oil palm because of the relatively high prices that the commodity is fetching in the market place. If both the smallholders and their big brothers are unwilling to replant for reasons of their own, our country is going to be affected in terms of national oil palm productivity. We may no longer be the No 1 Palm Oil producer because our neighbour Indonesia is slowly overtaking us sooner than later!
Psss.....Do the smallholders need a much bigger incentive to replant oil palm???? 

Golden Age of Palm Oil

18 October 2010
The other day on ASTRO, there was a documentary and interview with Datuk Seri Lim Keng Yaik, the former Minister of Primary Industries on Palm Oil. Despite his retirement from the industry years ago, this man is still passionate about our Golden Crop. My personal opinion is that he had been the champion of palm oil during his Ministerial days, after taking over from YB Datuk Paul Leong Kee Siong during the mid 1980's. In fact, the period of mid 80's till 2005 was the golden age of palm oil, to my mind. It was during this period that PORIM (now MPOB) made such a big impact in the edible oils and fats industry in the world. We made breakthough discoveries on the nutritional values of palm oil, fighting off the Anti Palm Oil Smear Campaign waged by the American Soyabean Association(ASA) with the positive results MPOB obtained from the research grants given to various established Universities all over the world to conduct research on palm oil. MPOB then was the premier research institute on oil palm and palm oil, true to its Mission and Vision statement. For the past 5 years, MPOB gradually lost its oomph somehow, even though Malaysian Palm 0il remained as the No 1 Oil in the world. (Pardon me, if I am wrong). Leadership plays an instrumental role in the rise and fall of an organization. It is Leadership also that make or break an organization.
I was happy and proud serving MPOB during the golden age of palm oil 1982-2005. During this period, Tan Sri Yusof Basiron was the Director-General of MPOB and YB Datuk Seri Lim Keng Yaik was the Minister of Primary Industries of Malaysia.http://www.mpob.gov.my/