The fifth World Palm Portraits Photography Competition was launched on Jan 10 as part of the ‘100 Years of Malaysian Palm Oil Industry’ celebrations, by the Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, the Hon. Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong.
The competition is an initiative to inculcate an appreciation of the palm oil industry as well as to educate the public on the biodiversity of plantations, life of the plantation workers and the multiple uses of palm oil in food and non-food items.
The competition is divided into four categories: Nature & Wildlife, People & Portraits, Black & White, and Still Life & Photo Manipulation. Entries were received from Malaysia, Indonesia, India, the Philippines and Singapore this year.
The winning images were selected based on subject, composition, balance of colours and depth, and the meaning they carry. In each category, the first prize is US$1,500, while the second prize is US$1,000.
“The competition, which started as a low key local photography experiment in 2013, has evolved into an international competition which is held annually. It has been gaining momentum among professional and amateur photographers, attracting entries from not just neighbouring countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore, but also countries as far as the US and Brazil,” noted MPOC Chairman Dato’ Lee Yeow Chor, at an event on July 27 to announce the winners.
“Our fascinating collection expresses the industry well, through the faces of the farmers, the daily life of the workers, the admirable landscapes and the wildlife found there. It is a wonderful representation of the many amazing elements of the industry.”
MPOC
Nature & Wildlife
1st Mohd Nazri Sulaiman (Malaysia)
2nd Chan Ko Wong (Malaysia)
People & Portraits
1st Sharid Arasad (Malaysia)
2nd Yadi Setiadi (Indonesia)
Black & White
1st Izlan Somai (Malaysia)
2nd Suwardi Suwardi (Indonesia)
Still Life & Photo Manipulation
1st Rayhan Ibnunnajah (Indonesia)
2nd Zullfikar Md Noor (Malaysia)
