Charis (right) sharing updates on the company’s conservation initiatives at the Sungai Pin Conservation Area with Yusran during the World Orangutan Day 2025 celebration at Zoo Taiping and Night Safari in Perak on Saturday (Nov 1).
KOTA KINABALU: SKG Green Sdn Bhd’s long-term commitment to orangutan conservation drew significant public attention during the World Orangutan Day 2025 celebration held recently at Zoo Taiping and Night Safari in Perak.
The weekend event 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 ongoing conservation initiatives within the Sungai Pin Conservation Area (SPnCA) in Kinabatangan, including the innovative canopy bridge that enables orangutans to safely cross between fragmented forest patches along Sungai Pin.
Although the canopy bridge has been in operation for several years, it continued to capture the interest of visitors eager to understand how such structures help reconnect habitats and promote safe wildlife movement across plantation landscapes.
The bridge directly benefits an estimated 55 orangutans residing in the Sungai Pin area, part of the 2,632-hectare SPnCA, alongside other arboreal species such as proboscis monkeys and macaques.
SKG Green’s exhibition booth also attracted 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 (Conservation and Biodiversity) Charis Saliun, who shared updates on SKG Green’s conservation work with the Plantation and Commodities Ministry Secretary-General Datuk Yusran Shah Mohd Yusof, who also serves as Chairman of 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,” said Charis.
He noted that SPnCA also forms part of the Orangutan Diplomacy Programme, an initiative led by MPOGCF in collaboration with Borneo Samudera Sdn Bhd (BSSB), which seeks to ensure orangutans can move freely in their natural habitats without interference from human activity or plantation operations.
The Orangutan Diplomacy initiative was further strengthened earlier this month through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) exchanged between MPOGCF and BSSB at SPnCA.
“This collaboration reflects Malaysia’s ongoing commitment to safeguarding its wildlife while balancing sustainable development,” added, Charis, noting that SPnCA’s designation as a High Conservation Value (HCV) area underscores its importance as a sanctuary for orangutans and other endangered species.
Through its continuous partnership with MPOGCF, Sawit Kinabalu and SKG Green are working to enhance wildlife corridors, support ecological research, and promote biodiversity awareness 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,” said Charis.
Observed annually, World Orangutan Day aims to raise global awareness about the urgent need to protect orangutans in Borneo and Sumatra, regions where habitat loss and fragmentation remain major threats to their survival.
