Dato’ Seri Utama Shahrir Abdul Samad, Chairman of MPOB led a delegation comprised of Dr Ahmad Kushairi Din, Dr. Kalanithi Nesaretnam, Dr. Nur Aishah Mohd Taib and Mr Nik Aznizan Nik Ibrahim for a technical visit to Melbourne. The team will be leaving for Wellington after the trip here in Melbourne.
The purpose of the technical visit to Melbourne this time around is to have a roundtable discussion with MPOB’s partner in Victoria i.e. Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre on how tocotrienols -natural compounds found in palm oil can assist in the treatment of cancer.
Dato’ Shahrir also took the opportunity to visit the Melbourne Zoo. He had a meeting with Jenny Gray, CEO of Zoos Victoria (Werribee, Melbourne and Healesville) and also Mr. Andrew Fairley, the Chairman of Zoos Victoria (whom is also the Honorary Consul for Finland in Victoria). The main purpose of the meeting is to inform the Melbourne Zoo and Victorians that no Orang Utan’s sanctuary is being taken away for the planting of palm oil trees. Melbourne Zoo has been very active in promoting the idea to label our palm oil products in Australia. Dato Shahrir also invited the Melbourne Zoo Board of Directors to come and visit the Orang Utan sanctuary in Sabah, and to see the fact that no Orang Utan Sanctuary is being destroyed or taken away for the planting of palm oil. Such a visit is planned by MPOB in June 2012 and will take place in Sandakan.
| At the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne. From left to right Dr Rameez, Nik Aznizan, Dr Kalanithi, Dato Shahrir Samad, Professor Rod Hicks (Director of Cancer Imaging of Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre) and Dr. Ahmad Kushairi Din. |
| At the Melbourne Zoo “Hut” Meeting Room. Mr. Andrew Fairley receiving Dato Shahrir Samad. |
Melbourne Zoo and its notice on Orang Utan and deforestation.