Artificial Intelligence, Game Changer for Palm Oil

  by Professor Dato Dr. Ahmad Ibrahim,

Technology drives much of the world. Artificial intelligence, AI, is one technology now making waves. The power of AI can no longer be ignored. Together with the other technologies including the internet of things, IoT, and robotics, AI is changing the game of business and industry. Global businesses look at AI as a panacea of sorts, as the world continues to digitalize. AI refers to a technology that can match human intelligence, making machines perform tasks almost like humans. Software algorithms are behind the technology. Artificial intelligence (AI) has become attractive because it can help deliver business growth, improve complex decision-making, and transform businesses to become more intelligent. Artificial Intelligence, coined by John McCarthy in the 50s, essentially refers to the ability of a computer program to learn and think.

Many problems of the world now look to AI for answers. The global waste issue, which has grown increasingly complex, deploys AI to better organize the collection and eventual treatment at waste processing facilities. The monitoring of pollution, especially of rivers and waterways, uses remote sensing technology to capture images which are then deciphered using AI. The same satellite imaging technology is used to monitor the forests, looking for cases of illegal logging. Manufacturing deploys AI extensively to increase productivity as well as improve product quality. The other area which deploys AI extensively is data analytics. This involves analyzing the vast amount of data to better understand market trends and consumer choices. Social media is a major source of such data. Retail businesses are actively using AI to make business sense of the data. 

Increasingly, agriculture is also looking to AI to resolve many of its challenges. The palm oil industry has been eyeing AI for some time now to resolve some of its productivity and marketing issues. Palm oil’s consumer perception issue continues to linger on despite the many steps taken by the industry. The industry remains preoccupied with the battle to neutralize the spread of fakes and untruths about palm oil. It is good to hear that the Ministry of Plantations is going on an offensive to deal with the challenge. It is about time too, as the industry has been defensive for far too long. Kudos to the Ministry. 

Productivity has emerged as a more daunting challenge in recent times for the palm oil industry. We are talking about crop losses which have denied the industry of much revenue. At the current high price of palm oil, touching RM5000 per ton, unharvested oil palm fruits have resulted in billions of ringgit in losses. Labour shortage has been largely the reason why large tracts of oil palms have not been harvested. But it is not just labor that has contributed to the losses. It is also about harvesting at the right time when the fruits are optimally ripe. The loose fruits technique which is widely used to decide harvesting time is not fully reliable. One can see evidence of a high percentage of unripe fruits at the mills. Unripe means low oil content. AI can definitely play a role here. The issue of labor is not recent. For a long time, there has been concern that the industry has been over-dependent on foreign labor. The pandemic has exacerbated the situation. This is where AI together with robotics and drones can help.

Palm oil needs the right strategy to effectively embrace AI. R&D is central to the strategy. Through MPOB, the industry should invest in a center dedicated to the development of AI in the entire spectrum of palm oil production, from plantation down to processing and the manufacture of value-added products and logistics. Through the use of AI, the industry can better monitor the sustainability performance of the industry, including the impact on GHG emissions and capture. As pressures of climate concerns continue to bear on the industry, AI can help positively position the environmental image of the industry. In fact with the adoption of AI and other related digitalize technologies, more young people may be more attracted to work in the industry. AI is seen as a real game-changer for the palm oil industry.   

Better Policy on Disaster Management Needed

  by Professor Dato Dr. Ahmad Ibrahim,

Many may not realize that another new normal is emerging. The world’s poor response to climate change is partly to blame. Global warming has fueled a new dynamic in natural disasters. They have not only become more regular but also more devastating. We have witnessed how typhoons and hurricanes have ripped through communities around the world extolling massive damage to properties and loss of lives. Climate change has altered the profile of natural calamities. We just saw how a tornado destroyed some population centers in the USA. In the Philippines, the population must endure regular encounters with menacing typhoons. Germany recently came face to face with what has been dubbed as the worst flood of the century. No country is spared literally. Some have more natural calamities to deal with.

We can consider ourselves comparatively fortunate. For us, the most challenging climate disaster we face is linked to heavy rain. Flash floods are common in cities. The more devastating floods occur during the monsoon months around December and January. I still remember the big floods in 1967 in Kelantan. There was no NADMA then. There were no temporary shelters like the PPS. Everyone was left to manage the best they could. During that flood, me and my family had to move to higher ground twice as flood waters continued rising. Eventually we settled with a family whom we did not even know. My grandfather stayed put at his house where flood waters rose to the roof level. He survived for three days squatting just below the roof. There were some people who were stranded along the Kota Bharu Road. A few climbed up telecommunication poles to stay clear of the fast-flowing flood waters. There was no supply of food by the government then. There were no NGOs either. The family we put up with fed us with what they had. Of course, there were also stranded chickens and birds which we occasionally caught and shared in our meals. The radio was the main channel of communication then. That was how we obtained information about weather development. Every day we waited for the good news that the rain would soon stop, and we could all go home. 

All countries around the world experience flood. Even developed economies have their share. When there is more rain than usual and the drainage system fails to cope, flood is the inevitable outcome. There is yet no technology that can stop heavy rain. Climate change is making it worse. One way to deal with the unusually heavy downpour is to divert the floodwater to some storage ponds. The KL smart tunnel is doing just that. It has been reported that without the smart tunnel, Kuala Lumpur could have even sunk in the current flood. Of course, all the pumps must work. This is where maintenance is crucial. There were cases at other sites in the current flood where pumps built to divert the floodwater did not work because of poor maintenance. Social media was flooded with complaints about that. 

Since there is no way we can stop floods, what countries have done to minimize damage to assets and casualties to people is to send an early warning. Nowadays with all the sophistication of satellite imagery and AI, as well as reliable weather forecasting models, creating an early warning system is technically feasible. For states on the East coast which experience such monsoon floods on a yearly basis, the flood has become part of their lives. In fact, as a child, we looked forward to the annual flood festival. But Selangor, which rarely experiences such bad floods, not only needs early warning but the people must also be guided on what to do. But most important of all, the relevant authorities must be prepared with the necessary support. With climate change not showing any sign of abating, dealing with climate disasters such as floods will be another new normal. 

One lesson from the flood is the rubbish generated. Dealing with the disposal of such rubbish is a big logistic headache. Hopefully, this will also send the message among the people that proper management of the rubbish that we generate is something we should pay attention to. Indiscriminately throwing rubbish is one practice we should put a stop to. It is clear we need a more comprehensive policy on flood management. We must create clear mapping of areas that are naturally prone to floods and prohibit any housing development. We need to introduce a flood safety certification scheme of housing projects. This way we can warn buyers not to invest in those housing. We need a system to effectively monitor the state of river siltation and drain blockage. It is worth considering investing in the sophisticated satellite imagery to do that job. With all the economic losses that we have seen, and the lives lost, it is time for a more comprehensive policy on flood management in the country. 

Nature Conservation Critical For Our Future Well Being

 by Professor Dato Dr. Ahmad Ibrahim,

Few would disagree that nature has been badly abused for decades now. Despite all the evidence which points to the devastating repercussions of a disturbed natural environment, greed has largely driven men to ignore such warnings. We have just witnessed how ignoring nature has been a major factor behind the recent floods which have inundated many states in the country. The floods have also exposed the unscrupulous practice of indiscriminate logging in sensitive water catchment areas. Despite the denial by some, pictures of floating logs threatening everything in their path cannot lie. The graphic images of tonnes of rubbish left behind should be enough to remind us of the dire consequences. The loss of lives and the economic pains add to the misery of those affected by the calamity. There are obvious lessons from the floods. But whether we truly learn or not is a matter of great concern. 

Fortunately, there are those among us who continue to remind the world of the fragility of nature, and that maintaining its delicate balance is for our common good. One colleague of mine, Professor Datuk Dr. Ghazally, is one such personality who never tires of giving reminders on why we should continue to respect nature. Armed with a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology from Indiana University, USA, he has devoted much of his academic life to documenting the natural habitats of life in the tropical rainforests of Borneo. He served for many years as Professor in the universities in Sabah and Sarawak. Apart from dabbling in karaoke as a hobby, he had through the years scoured through the jungles of Borneo producing images of the enormous biodiversity through photographs and drawings depicting the intricacies of life in the rainforest. I know him as a highly multitalented person from our school days in MCKK. He is definitely a different breed of scientist. He is not only an accomplished scientist but also a prolific writer on science especially those related to nature conservation. On top of that, he draws and practices nature photography like a professional. No wonder, in his latest book “Monkey Moments”, he produced it almost single-handedly.

Now living in New Zealand with his devoted wife, he is one Malaysian overseas who had turned the Covid lockdown into an opportunity. Not being able to travel home to see friends and families has been a big challenge for him. The occasional chats through WhatsApp have helped relieve some of the tension. But instead of moaning and groaning, he turned adversity into opportunity. He took the opportunity to write a book on his years of experience in the rainforests back in Malaysian Borneo. Apparently, all the books he has written so far were produced under some form of duress. In this new book, he delved into his encounters with the monkeys and apes over the years putting across his own thoughts and reflective anecdotes of his journeys in the rainforests of Borneo. The whole theme of conserving biodiversity and stopping deforestation is featured in the book. As he put it nicely, “Just can’t shake off my educational streak on saving our endangered species and their natural habitats. Maybe stopping logging and the destruction of our rainforest are topical and relevant right now in the face of widespread flooding. Time to raise awareness on this now”.  

Some describe the book as enthralling writing on monkeys and apes of the rainforests. Fascinating facts about several primate species are reflected and appealingly narrated from experiential encounters in the wilderness of Borneo. He brilliantly takes readers through the evolution of man by selectively highlighting the physical features and behavioral biology of the species in the book. The unprecedented destruction of the rainforests has driven countless animal and plant species to extinction. But many still fail to grasp such facts. In the book, Professor Ghazally also alluded to many other species which are under threat. Many may not realize that the frogs in the rainforests come in different shapes, sizes, and colors. It is definitely a book that should not be missed. It may be a bit late to change the views of the old about the true value of biodiversity. But there is still time to remind the young. I would urge the education fraternity to use the book as a point of discourse about the wonder of nature. It is even more special coming from our own breed of scientists.              

Sustaining the spirit of volunteerism

by Professor Dato Dr. Ahmad Ibrahim,

THE recent floods that affected eight states across the country, leaving at least 54 dead and two missings, have exposed weaknesses in our management of natural disasters.  

Some areas, especially in Kuala Lumpur, were caught unprepared, and social media was inundated with unpalatable comments against the government for its apparent mishandling of the situation.

But there is something we can take heart from the sad episode - the exemplary spirit of volunteerism among the general public, especially NGOs and civil society. The youth made their presence felt as well, helping to clean up homes and other premises and also repairing electrical gadgets damaged by floods.  

If this demonstration of solidarity can pervade throughout the entire strata of society and leadership, we can look forward to better days ahead for the nation.

Amid the pandemic, climate disasters, and the web of scandals embroiling our country, there is still a feeling of hope among the common people. It is clear from the spirit of volunteerism that was demonstrated during the floods that Malaysians do not really have problems working together. Volunteerism appears to be the platform that can harness such togetherness. 

It may be time for a national program to inculcate the spirit of volunteerism among all Malaysians, particularly the young.

I have observed that the spirit of volunteerism is alive and well at most of our universities. At UCSI University, I have been most impressed with the initiatives taken by staff and students to help in many social causes. One that stands out is their involvement with the refugee community. The university's food catering business has helped some in the refugee community to ease their pains and struggles. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) group in the university is also actively helping to provide education for children in the refugee community. I am also impressed with a member of the staff who is always organizing programs to bring cheer to old folks in homes around Cheras.  

Volunteerism is clearly a character we should cherish and encourage in any community. The .. question is, how do we sustain volunteerism?

This is where schools have a strategic role to play. Children should be taught from a young age to embrace volunteerism. 

The effort to change society to be more caring can be better done with the participation of NGOs and civil society groups. We can see how this arrangement is working out well in many developed economies. Japan, for example, stands out as one country we should look to as a model.   

Studies have revealed that the spirit of volunteerism in Japan increased in the aftermath of the Kobe earthquake in 1995 after the authorities could not cope with the scale of the disaster, and volunteers were needed to help the injured and homeless in a timely way. These first groups of volunteers, in turn, created a general social expectation favoring a volunteer-oriented society, and the media, younger politicians, and leading citizens actively promoted this new type of civil society.

This "social expectation" led to the passage of a Law to Promote Specified Nonprofit Activities in 1998. It allows civil society organizations to easily acquire nonprofit corporation status, bolstering volunteerism activities in Japan today.  

The recent floods have shown us that we are on the right track. The challenge now is sustaining it.