SKG Green Senior Manager of Conservation and Biodiversity Charis Saliun introducing the company’s conservation initiatives at the Sungai Pin Conservation Area with visitors during the World Orangutan Day 2025 celebration at Zoo Taiping and Night Safari in Perak on Nov 1.
KOTA KINABALU (Nov 4): SKG Green Sdn Bhd’s commitment to orangutan conservation caught public attention during the World Orangutan Day 2025 celebration held at Zoo Taiping and Night Safari in Perak, recently.
The event, held over the weekend, brought together conservationists, wildlife agencies and members of the public to celebrate Malaysia’s continued efforts to protect one of the world’s most endangered great apes.
SKG Green, a subsidiary of Sawit Kinabalu, showcased its conservation initiatives within the Sungai Pin Conservation Area (SPnCA) in Kinabatangan, including the use of a canopy bridge that enables orangutans to move safely between forest patches across Sungai Pin.
While the canopy bridge is not a new feature, it continued to attract public attention from visitors interested in learning how such structures reconnect fragmented habitats and promote the safe movement of wildlife across plantation landscapes.
The bridge benefits an estimated 55 orangutans living along the Sungai Pin area, part of the 2,632-hectare SPnCA, as well as other arboreal species such as proboscis monkeys and macaques.
SKG Green’s booth at the event also drew strong interest from visitors, including representatives from government agencies and conservation organisations.
The company’s five-member delegation was led by SKG Green’s Senior Manager of Conservation and Biodiversity, Charis Saliun.
Charis said he shared updates on SKG Green’s conservation work with the Plantation and Commodities Ministry Secretary-General Datuk Yusran Shah Mohd Yusof, who also chairs the Malaysian Palm Oil Green Conservation Foundation (MPOGCF) Board of Trustees.
“It was a meaningful opportunity to highlight how collaboration between government, industry, and conservation partners can make a real difference in protecting wildlife such as the orangutan,” he said.
He added that the SPnCA also forms part of the Orangutan Diplomacy Programme, an initiative led by MPOGCF in collaboration with Borneo Samudera Sdn Bhd (BSSB), which aims to ensure orangutans can move freely in their natural habitat without disturbance from human activity or plantation operations.
The Orangutan Diplomacy initiative was officially strengthened with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) exchanged earlier this month between MPOGCF and BSSB at SPnCA.
“This collaboration reflects Malaysia’s commitment to safeguarding its wildlife while balancing sustainable development,” said Charis, adding that SPnCA’s designation as a High Conservation Value (HCV) area highlights its importance as a sanctuary for orangutans and other endangered species.
He added that through its ongoing partnership with MPOGCF, Sawit Kinabalu and SKG Green are working to enhance wildlife corridors, support ecological research, and promote awareness of biodiversity conservation among local communities.
“The Sungai Pin Conservation Area represents a shared effort to preserve biodiversity, empower local communities and ensure that Sabah’s natural heritage continues to thrive,” Charis said.
World Orangutan Day, observed annually, aims to raise awareness of the urgent need to protect orangutans in Borneo and Sumatra, regions where habitat loss and fragmentation remain major threats to the species’ survival.
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