Melaka: The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) is poised to establish a pivotal research station in Seri Mendapat, Sungai Rambai, on a 40.47-hectare site, with an investment ranging between RM20 million and RM25 million. This initiative aims to significantly bolster the palm oil industry within Melaka, as announced by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the project falls under the 13th Malaysia Plan and is one of three major initiatives designed to transform Melaka's commodity sector. The land for the research station has been allocated by the state government. It will feature a model plantation, research and development center, modern laboratories, a training facility, living quarters for TUNAS advisory officers, enforcement teams, and other essential infrastructure.
The announcement was made during the Jelajah Ketua Menteri Sayang Rakyat and Hello Komoditi 2026 events, which are part of the Sungai Rambai Wakil Rakyat Untuk Rakyat (WRUR) programme. Sungai Rambai assemblywoman Datuk Siti Faizah Abdul Azis was also present. Ab Rauf emphasized that the facility would establish Sungai Rambai as a center for knowledge, innovation, and palm oil industry development, thereby generating employment opportunities, skills training, and economic benefits for the local community.
He further noted that this initiative aligns with the state government's vision to transform the commodity sector into a modern, competitive, and high-value driver of the rural economy. In a separate development, a 5-kilometer private smallholder farm road at Ladang Lembah Kesang, Mukim Semujuk, will be constructed with an approved allocation of RM400,000. This road aims to enhance produce delivery efficiency, reduce operating costs, and improve mobility for over 200 smallholders.
The state government remains committed to advocating for the needs of the Sungai Rambai community, where nearly 45 percent of the population consists of farmers and smallholders. MPOB has also introduced the Smallholder Oil Palm Replanting Financing Incentive Scheme 2.0, providing eligible smallholders with up to RM14,000 per hectare to replace aging, low-yield trees with superior seedlings. Repayment for this scheme begins in the fifth year, alleviating initial financial burdens.
In another development, Ab Rauf revealed that the state has requested RM200,000 from the federal government to upgrade an aging watergate at Jeti Sebatu. Additionally, drainage work costing RM350,000 along a 300-meter section of the Sungai Sebatu outlet is underway to mitigate flood risks, addressing concerns raised by the local fishing community during the Jelajah Ketua Menteri Sayang Rakyat and WRUR programme.