BUKIT MERTAJAM: The first batch of palm oil produced at Felda Sahabat in Lahad Datu was shipped out today under an escort by the Royal Malaysian Navy vessel since the armed incursion into  Sabah east coast on Feb 9.

Felda chairman Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad said the palm oil, produced at its processing plant at Felda Sahabat was shipped out this morning under the protection of the Navy force.

He said Felda has yet to ascertain the amount of losses suffered by its subsidiary Felda Global Ventures which operates oil palm estate there at the moment since Ops Daulat was still ongoing.

Mohd Isa said Felda would also look into the needs of settlers, particularly the owners of houses which were damaged or affected during the aerial strike to flush out the terrorists under the Ops Daulat.

“We will have to wait for the whole operation to end first then only our officers can go on ground and conduct damage assessment,” he said after attending a ground-breaking ceremony of a surau at Malaya Sugar Mills (MSM) Holdings Bhd plant in Prai here today.

MSM, a subsidiary of Felda is the biggest sugar manufacturer in the country with 950,000 tons annual production.

Source : New Straits Times