PUTRAJAYA, April 22 (Bernama) -- Malaysia may cooperate with Indonesia in large-scale rearing of cattle in the republic to meet the demand for beef here.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the proposal was put forward by an eight-member delegation from Indonesia's People's Representative Assembly who met him at his office here Tuesday.
"They have six million hectares of oil palm plantation. If two cows can be reared on each hectare, there will be 12 million cows," he told reporters after the meeting.
He said the plan could contribute towards ensuring food security in this country, besides strengthening Malaysia-Indonesia bilateral relations.
Currently, Malaysia also imports beef as local beef production cannot meet the demand.
Najib said the proposal would be studied by the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS), which was hosting the Indonesian delegation's visit.
The delegation, led H. Totok Daryanto from the Partai Amanat Nasional, also discussed with Najib the issue of Indonesian migrant workers in this country, illegal logging purportedly by Malaysian companies in Indonesia, and perception of the media of both countries on issues.
Najib said any problem involving Indonesian migrant workers should be looked at individually and not as having to do with Malaysia-Indonesia relations.
"For example, if an employer ill-treats his Indonesian worker, then it is a problem between the employer and the employee, where action should be taken through the legal process.
"It should not be seen as a bilateral problem, because while there are many responsible employers, there are also a few irresponsible ones who mistreat their workers," he said.
-- BERNAMA
