KUALA LUMPUR, April 15 — The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) will issue a reminder to palm oil mills on compliance with environmental regulations to prevent river pollution.

Under the MPOB Licensing Regulations (Act 582), palm oil mills engaging in activities that violate the rules and regulations may be subject to a show-cause letter, compound of up to RM100,000 and suspension or revocation of their licences.

Palm oil mills must comply with the regulations of the MPOB and Department of Environment (DoE) on the processing of effluent systems at all times, MPOB director-general Dr Ahmad Parveez Ghulam Kadir said in a statement today. 

He said the public may email their complaint to general@mpob.gov.my or call 03 8769 4400.

The DoE recently suspended the licence of a palm oil mill in Sabah for failure to completely dispose of waste (effluent) in the irrigation area as stipulated in the licence, resulting in the pollution of the Malagatan River and Tongod River. 

The mill was found liable under Section 18 (1) of the Environmental Quality Act 1974.

Ahmad Parveez said the MPOB takes the incident seriously and is working closely with the DoE to curb environmental pollution by oil palm activities.

"The MPOB offices around the country regularly monitor and conduct inspections of palm oil mills to ensure compliance with the effluent processing system," he added. — Bernama