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Port of Call |
LAST UPDATE July 12, 2005
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| site design imagesparkle.com |
| January 5 - 6, 2004 |
Brunei |
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| A palm fruit |
Noodles, cosmetics and soap - visiting the source of Japan's palm oil supply in Sarawak, Malaysia
Peace Boat's second port of call in 2004 was Muara, Brunei in Southeast Asia. An adventurous group of approximately 80 participants crossed the border between Brunei and Malaysia to visit an Iban community. After a long bus ride through glorious rain forests, we made our first stop in Sarawak, Malaysia at the Bukit Penijiau Oil Palm Plantation, which covers over 400 square kilometers of the land. Sarawak is known as a homeland of palm oil, the biggest consumer of which is Japan. In Japan, palm oil is used to produce snacks, instant cup noodles, cosmetics, and soaps, which are marketed as "eco-friendly" products. However, from what we saw and heard from the local people, we were left questioning whether the widespread use of palm oil is really friendly to the environment. |
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| An Indonesian migrant worker |
Although it is true that plantations provide jobs to local people and palm oil is safe for the human body, the negative effects of the presence of these plantations are hard to ignore. Construction of plantations is a main cause of deforestation in Malaysia and its environmental damage is immeasurable. Once the rainforest is destroyed by human hands, it takes years for trees to grow back.
Plantations also contribute to the creation of conditions where companies can insist on cheap, non-unionized labour, resulting in lower quality of life, and the decimation of indigenous communities through the loss of their traditional lands and livelihoods. The Iban tribe we visited later that day is but one example. In fact, the majority of plantation labourers in Malaysia are migrant workers from Indonesia who are paid less than local Malaysian workers and tend to be given more dangerous tasks.
In the Bukit Penijiau Oil Palm Plantation, Peace Boat participants walked among the artificially planted palm trees with the manager and learned the process by which the oil is extracted. In response to a participant's question, a worker told us how the agricultural chemicals they use are harmful not only to the soil but the workers' health as well. The Japanese participants, many of whom are ultimately the consumers and the final link in the chain, witnessed the production side of the palm oil market and learned that "eco-friendly" products are not necessarily made in an "eco-friendly" manner. In fact, the reality is quite contrary to what marketers say when they advertise these products. |
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| Iban children greeting Peace Boat participants |
At night, we visited an Iban village, the indigenous people who live near the plantation. They live in what are called "longhouses" which have a single roof, 300 meters long and shared by as many as 48 families. The participants were first surprised by the sound of the Iban people killing a pig as a part of the ritual they perform when they invite newcomers to their house. After entering, every participant was greeted with a traditional dance and music as well as an average of six glasses of homemade rice wine, which tastes somewhat like vodka. The night was full of dance, music, and traditional home cooked food. Many of the very amiable Iban and curious Peace Boat participants stayed up past midnight, exchanging their rich cultures and simply having a good time together. The following morning, we promised that we would meet again in the future, hoping that their rainforest will remain intact, protected from the expanding oil palm plantations. |
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