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SPEARHEADING
SECOND FRONTIER of Sustainability in Malaysian Rubber Industry
Brundtland Commission in 19871 defined
sustainability as the development seeking to
meet the need of the present generation without
compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs or development that achieve
a balance, interdependent and mutually reinforcing
economic, social and environmental aspects. In the
commodities fraternity sustainability is normally
discussed in terms of the effect of an industry to
the profit, people and planet (3P). (Diagram 1)
The natural rubber (NR) industry in Malaysia
started after the seeds brought by Sir Wickham from
the South America were planted in Kuala Kangsar in
the 1880’s and started the first commercial planting
of rubber in Malaysia. (Diagram 2) |
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evolved from being an important component
in the agricultural sector to an element to be
reckoned with in the manufacturing sector. The
diversification strategy implemented under three
Industrial Master Plans (IMPs) had stimulated the
expansion and the industry evolved from a relatively
small and unknown entity to become a reputable
major world rubber trader. (Diagram 3)
The introduction of Standard Malaysian Gloves
and green material for tyres has placed Malaysian
NR gloves superior to the other producers in terms
of quality and competitiveness. Currently there
is a capacity to produce about 1.5 million tonnes
of processed NR and products derived from NR.
Majority of the semi-finished or finished rubber
products produced are exported to China, EU
and USA. When the rubber prices fell in the late
nineties, the glory of the rubber industry was quickly
forgotten and replaced with the oil palm industry.
Strong demand and good product performance
revitalized the industry. In fact, in 2010, the industry
as a whole contributed about RM34.00 billion in
export revenue, increased by more than three times
than that of RM10.6 billion in 1990. (Diagram 4)
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 | Innovating Innovation:
Innovation in the age of
disruption and Black swans
Over the past decade, quality, efficiency and
safety have, to a certain degree permeated many
organizations, forming an integral component of the
organization’s quest to be competitive. However, in
recent years, the hype has been to add another word
to the companies’ load of initiatives; Innovation!
Despite the move, many organizations have not been
successful at diffusing innovation throughout their
organization, seemingly remaining just a buzz word.
Nonetheless, as organizational leaders sit in their lofty
pseudo cocoon, when many giants are crashing down
around them, are they truly aware of the need for their
organization to innovate?. |
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Towards A High Income
Society -
The Offset Programs
It is a vision of the Malaysian leadership to create a high income society
by the year 2020. In order to achieve this vision Malaysia, a successful
commodity and manufacturing nation, needs to develop its technology
capability and capacity to become a knowledge-based economy. |
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New Business Potential Via Resource Recovery in the Wastewater Sector
The Challenges of Research in Malaysia: Prioritisation of Research and Bringing Research to the Market
Growing Together(Future Forum 2020) - A Foresight Project for Natural Fiber
Revolutionizing the
Business Scene; ECER’s Palm Oil Industry Initiative
- Palm Oil Industrial Cluster (POIC)
Future of Natural Rubber: Invest In New Ideas |
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