For palm oil producers and their critics
December, 2016 in Issue 4 - 2016, Cover Story
Malaysian Palm Oil Industry Awards, 2016
PALM OIL INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP AWARD
Tun Musa Hitam
Tun Musa Hitam has been closely associated with the plantation industry and the palm oil industry in particular. He holds the unique distinction of having led the industry from both the business and government perspectives.
His active involvement in the oil palm industry began when he was appointed as Chairman of the Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA) from September 1971 to December 1972.
This was during a period of crop diversification in Malaysia, when oil palm was increasingly being planted to replace rubber. The conversion from rubber to oil palm not only rescued the plantation industry but also made it one of the biggest employers in Malaysia and possibly in Southeast Asia.
Tun Musa is a firm believer in research and development (R&D). His realisation of the need for a concerted effort in R&D to empower the oil palm industry paved the way for the establishment of the Palm Oil Research Institute Malaysia (PORIM) in 1979. This move was instrumental in ensuring continuous and rapid development in all aspects of the oil palm industry.
PORIM and another oil palm entity, PORLA, were merged in May 2000 to become the Malaysian Palm Oil Board. Today, it is synonymous with oil palm research; this is in many ways attributed to the vision and inspiration of Tun Musa.
Tun Musa held various portfolios in the Cabinet – Deputy Minister of Commerce (later, Trade) and Industry (1971-74); Minister of Primary Industries (1974-78); Minister of Education (1978-81); and Minister of Home Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister (1981-86).
Between 1990 and 1991, he was Malaysia’s Special Envoy to the UN. He led the Malaysian delegation to the UN Commission on Human Rights from 1993-98; and was elected Chairman of the 52nd Session of the Commission in 1995. From 1995-2002, he was the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy to the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group.
In 2005, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations appointed him the Chairman of its Eminent Persons Group, set up to provide practical recommendations on the directions and nature of its Charter.
Upon retirement from active politics, Tun Musa was appointed Chairman of Kumpulan Guthrie Bhd in August 2002, a post he held until the merger of three plantation giants – Kumpulan Guthrie Bhd, Golden Hope Plantations Bhd and Sime Darby Bhd in November 2007.
The smooth and synergistic process of integration was testimony to his excellent leadership. In addition, his bold initiative in leading Sime Darby Bhd to venture into Liberia paved the way for many Malaysian plantation companies to expand their operations to Africa.
He was named the Chairman of the Governing Council of Yayasan Sime Darby on Oct 16, 2008. He retired as Chairman of Sime Darby Bhd in November 2012, but has remained involved in the corporate world.
