Malaysia plans to gift orangutans to major economic partners, as a way of improving its international image and building alliances. The “orangutan diplomacy” plan was confirmed by the nation’s plantation and commodities minister, Johari Abdul Ghani, at a biodiversity conference in early May.
Malaysia made the controversial announcement days after the European Union, one of Malaysia’s biggest palm oil importers, agreed to ban agricultural imports that cultivate crops on lands that were deforested after 2020. Firms wishing to export to the EU would now need to provide proof, such as satellite images, that crops were not grown in such conditions. This could hit Malaysia’s palm oil industry, which has been accused of destroying the forest habitats of endangered species, including the orangutan.
Without adopting a comprehensive conservation plan for the animals, Malaysia risks international condemnation that it is gifting orangutans as a reward to major palm oil importers. This could undermine the programme as well as the nation’s image.
