Thumbs-up for Kenaf to Replace Tobacco

Source from:  thestar.com.my August 19, 2008 08/19/2008

MPs from both sides of the House supported the Government's intention to replace tobacco cultivation with kenaf, another crop, while debating the National Kenaf and Tobacco Board Bill. They agreed that tobacco was harmful to the health of both smokers and non-smokers but urged the Government to carry out a careful study before switching to kenaf. Khairy Jamaluddin (BN – Rembau) said it was a good move for the Government to replace tobacco with another plantation crop as tobacco was bad for the health. He said this was a "visionary" Bill as it would help the approximately 4,000 tobacco planting families mostly in Kelantan. Khairy also said that by 2010, the price of tobacco would drop lower to RM9 per kg when the Asean Free Trade Area took place. "Kenaf is also recognised under the Kyoto protocol to reduce global warming and this will enable us to export to the countries that have ratified the protocol and be exempted from taxes," he said. However, Khairy also questioned if the Government was fully prepared for the restructuring of tobacco plantations. "Is there actually a demand for kenaf? We don't want the Government to go into a sunset industry," he said. Later, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said the sovereignty of South Ledge lay with Malaysia due to its location. He said that this was based on the contention that the sovereignty over South Ledge belonged to the state in the territorial waters in which it was located. "Singapore's action to declare the maritime area an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) for Batu Puteh (Pedra Branca) is regretted. Furthermore, the statement was issued without conferring with Malaysia first," he told Datuk Baharum Mohamed (BN – Sekijang). It was reported that Singapore was to claim an EEZ around Batu Puteh, which was awarded to the republic by the International Court of Justice in May. Enditem