The biomass industry can make Malaysia a high-income nation in the next five years, says Datuk Mah Siew Keong.
To do that the country needs to invest and expand the biomass business, said the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.
“From palm oil to gas and forest waste, all of it can be used as a resource for biomass.
“And with enough hard work and planning, it will be the game changer,” he said.
The minister said the expansion of the biomass industry would help double the income of the bottom 40% of Malaysians, as set under the 11th Malaysia Plan.
“This will be the industry that provides a good income as it is an obvious fact the industry makes a lot of money,” he said during a press conference after the launch of a Biomass Conference entitled Powering Sustainable Biomass Industry in Malaysia.
The conference is aimed at improving exposure about biomass and also engaging all the key players through the Malaysia Innovation Agency and Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA).
Speaking to over 200 participants, Mah emphasised the importance of having an independent and objective government facilitator to provide dedicated support for the industry and stakeholders.
Since the Prime Minister launched the National Biomass Strategy 2020 (NBS2020) in 2011, the country has fast gained momentum as one of the region’s most exciting and promising locations for investments in biomass-based industries.
The NBS2020 plan provides for a balanced development of the biomass industry across a portfolio of downstream activities ranging from bioenergy, pellets, biofuels, biochemical and its end products, he said.