How Malaysia Plans to Use Orangutans for Diplomacy and Why

The Minister of Commodities made the announcement on Wednesday that Malaysia intends to introduce orangutans to countries that are interested in obtaining palm oil as part of a project that is analogous to China’s panda diplomacy. The orangutans of Malaysia will be presented to these countries.

Specifically, Johari Abdul Ghani indicated that the “orangutan diplomacy” plan would involve the gifting of endangered great apes to countries that trade in palm oil, particularly key importing regions such as the European Union and India. This would be done in order to promote the conservation of the natural resource.

Dialogs of Diplomacy Conducted by Use of Resource Conservation

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has determined that orangutans are currently in a condition of state that is considered to be critically endangered. The degradation of their habitat, which results from activities such as logging, agricultural expansion, particularly the establishment of palm oil plantations, and the construction of infrastructure, is the most serious threat to their continued existence. 

The following is an excerpt from a post that he made on the social networking site X: “By introducing ‘orangutan diplomacy,’ it will show to the world that Malaysia is always committed to the conservation of biodiversity.”

He extended an invitation to businesses that are involved in the production of palm oil to collaborate with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in order to provide assistance in the conservation of wildlife in Malaysia and to share their technical skills on the matter.

Malaysian officials plan to host global conservation summits where orangutans will be a major focus. These meetings are planned for very soon. These summits are intended to provide a forum for the discussion of worldwide environmental issues, the encouragement of collaboration, and the sharing of practical conservation solutions.

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The Economic Angle

Malaysia plans to work with foreign research institutes to investigate the behavior and genetics of orangutans and get further knowledge about these species. This scientific collaboration will not only further knowledge but also demonstrate Malaysia’s dedication to the worldwide progress of scientific research.

One expects that the Economic Angle Orangutan diplomacy will contribute to Malaysia’s ecotourism industry’s expansion. If Malaysia can get visitors interested in wildlife and conservation, it may be able to support sustainable tourism practices and generate revenue at the same time. For Malaysia, things would work out well.

Environmentalists are holding palm oil accountable for being the driving force behind the loss of rainforests in Malaysia and Indonesia, which combined are responsible for the bulk of the world’s output. These two countries are responsible for the majority of the world’s production.

In addition to being used in delicacies like cakes, chocolate, and margarine, the edible oil is also utilized in a wide range of items, such as shampoo, detergent, and cosmetics. A form of soft power that Beijing has been employing for a considerable amount of time is known as “panda diplomacy.” It only lends pandas to zoos that are located outside of the country, and these zoos are obligated to return any offspring within a few years of their birth in order to take part in the breeding program that the government is running.