President
Kabbah In Talks With Malaysian Envoy
By Yusuf Alghali 
22 September 2003-President
Ahmad Tejan Kabbah and the visiting Guinean-based
Malaysian High Commissioner to Sierra Leone, Mr.
Dato Saw Sing Hong, today held wide ranging bilateral
discussions, as a prelude to the Head of State's
upcoming official visit to Kuala Lumpur, capital
of the South East Asian nation.
The
President's scheduled meeting with Malaysia's
Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed will follow his
official participation in this year's Summit of
Heads of State of the Organisation of Islamic
Countries (OIC) in the Malaysian capital, slated
for mid October.
President Kabbah, who has often referred to the
success story of Malaysia's hybrid oil palm cultivation
scheme, invited High Commissioner Dato to participate
in a pre-visit brainstorming of ideas at the Lodge
regarding what concrete agriculture-related package
the Sierra Leone delegation may take along with
it for possible assistance. 
The
extensive local cultivation of a rapid-growing type
of hybrid oil palm fruit as well as post harvest
marketing arrangements were two of the key areas
the President identified for special attention.
While re-iterating his keenness about his declared
national food security programme, the President
looked forward to reaching some agreement in Kuala
Lumpur following his bilateral talks with Prime
Minister Mohamed.
High
Commissioner Dato, who made reference to previous
regular discussions with Agriculture Minister
Dr. Sama Monde and Secretary to the President
Mr. Sheka Mansaray, told the President he was
also hoping that following discussions with the
Prime Minister, the two leaders would formulate
a proper package wherein Malaysia could agree
to provide Sierra Leone with needed assistance
in the area of oil palm development.
He
also hoped that the two countries would reach agreement
allowing for Malaysia to transfer appropriate agricultural
technology and the Malaysian Federal Land Development
Authority (FELDA) system of farming, which involves
local farmers as major stakeholders in agricultural
production.
The
FELDA system, which the envoy said had been accepted
as one of the best farming systems in the region,
also includes the Malaysian government providing
land to those farming families who want to become
settlers in the scheme. Also according to the
scheme, farming families are provided with seedlings,
implements and assistance to prepare the land
for cultivation apart from being provided with
a monthly subvention up till the time of harvest
when proceeds would have started flowing in.
-End-
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