MALAYSIA: Rubber council takes on expanded role along with rebranding

The Malaysian Rubber Export Promotion Council (MREPC), an agency under the Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities (MPIC), has been rebranded as the Malaysian Rubber Council (MRC) with immediate effect. This change comes with an expanded role as it seeks to drive the growth of Malaysia’s rubber product industry. In a statement issued on 25 Sept 2020, the MRC said it had received regulatory approval for the name change following a rebranding directive announced by Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali in early August.

Chief executive officer (CEO) Brandon Chan said the MRC’s wide-ranging business objectives now would also include strengthening the domestic rubber market with the goal of building capacity within the downstream rubber industry. “We hope that our latest initiatives will positively impact the midstream and upstream industries through continuous support programmes and activities to the downstream sector. With 20 years of experience, the MRC has developed an acute awareness of what works and what does not. Armed with this knowledge, we can only improve and scale new heights to elevate Malaysia's rubber industry even higher," he said.

Chan said apart from strengthening the export and domestic markets, the MRC would also identify new opportunities for human capital development and look at adoption of advanced technology as well as moving the industry towards enhanced sustainability. He said a MYR 20 million fund for automation and green technology had been allocated to encourage local industry members to move towards automation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0) as well as renewable energy resources. Meanwhile, he said another MYR 36 million fund was allocated recently to encourage downstream rubber companies to employ more locals.

“This is expected to benefit some 10,000 Malaysians and will also help to address worker shortage issues faced by the industry. Stakeholders and industry members will find no change in the quality of services offered, obtaining trade information on products or conducting business with the new corporate identity,” he said. He added that along with the name change, the MRC would enhance its relations with international development organisations to elevate Malaysia's rubber industry in the global value chain, and all future business activities will be conducted under the new name.

Source: Bernama News Agency, Kuala Lumpur; 25 Sept 2020
(Syed Rashid Ali, Karachi, Pakistan)