Latest news with #RM15bil
The Star
7 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Nestlé showcases cocoa innovation & sustainability at MICF 2025
Nestlé Malaysia chief executive officer Juan Aranols (right) and Ragai Anak Chabu, a cocoa farmer from Sarawak, showcasing the KitKat Dark Borneo chocolate and ice cream — both crafted using single-origin cocoa beans from East Malaysia. KUALA LUMPUR: Nestlé Malaysia took center stage at the Malaysian International Cocoa Fair (MICF) 2025, highlighting the distinct cocoa heritage of Sabah and Sarawak. The event was held at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC), bringing together industry leaders and cocoa enthusiasts from around the world. As a Platinum Sponsor, Nestlé emphasised its commitment to sustainable cocoa farming and product innovation. The spotlight was on KitKat Dark Borneo, a premium single-origin chocolate crafted exclusively from cocoa beans grown in Sabah and Sarawak, highlighting the unique flavours of Malaysian cocoa. In a statement, the food and beverage giant said it aimed to source 10,000 metric tonnes of cocoa from local Malaysian farms by 2034, in an effort to revitalise Malaysia's cocoa farming industry. Nestlé Malaysia's commitment to ethical sourcing, halal-certified production and long-term sustainability extends across its cocoa supply chain. KitKat Dark Borneo, developed under this partnership, reflects Malaysia's expertise in cocoa cultivation, crafted with locally grown beans that embody the country's deep-rooted traditions. Nestlé Malaysia chief executive officer Juan Aranols said that with exports reaching RM15bil in 2024, Malaysia's cocoa processing sector continues to expand, largely supported by imported cocoa beans. 'Local cocoa production, however, remains largely untapped, presenting significant opportunities – not only for industry growth but also for enhancing the livelihoods of farming communities, particularly in Sabah and Sarawak, where conditions are ideal for cultivating high-quality cocoa. 'Nestlé Malaysia is fully committed to working alongside local stakeholders to expand cocoa farming while upholding the highest standards of sustainability, traceability and human rights compliance. 'We are excited to transform the dedication of North Borneo's farmers into innovative products that bring joy to Malaysians and our consumers worldwide, just as we have with KitKat Dark Borneo – now introduced in a special ice cream edition that celebrates Malaysia's cocoa heritage and promising future,' Aranols said. All KitKat Dark products are proudly produced at Nestlé's Halal-certified Chembong Industrial Complex in Negeri Sembilan, one of the largest Nestlé confectionery and Ice Cream plants in Asia. This facility serves as a pivotal export manufacturing hub, supplying Halal KitKat products to Asean markets and other global destinations.
The Star
10-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
As Trump prepares for a Middle East visit...
WITH the exception of a short trip to the Vatican to attend Pope Francis' funeral, US president Donald Trump has stayed stateside during the first three months of his second term. That will change this Tuesday, May 13, when the president begins a three-day visit to the Middle East to attend a series of meetings with Gulf Arab leaders and possibly drop in on a Gulf Cooperation Council summit. While we still don't know what Trump's agenda is or what he seeks to accomplish, one could make a reasonable guess that the administration will try to finalise some 'big, beautiful' deals with the Gulf Arab states in the form of investments in certain US sectors. This should include the usual US defence exports past presidents have been so fond of inking. The latter is already underway. The State Department recently notified Congress of a US$3.5bil (RM15bil) deal that would sell 1,000 air-to-air missiles to Saudi Arabia. The Trump administration is reportedly trying to wrap up a gigantic US$100bil (RM428bil) arms package to the Saudis as well. If this sounds familiar, that's because it is – during his first term, Trump proposed a US$110bil arms deal to Riyadh, parts of which stalled after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was found responsible for the 2018 murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. Other than that, however, it's hard to envision Trump achieving anything major during his trip. Much of what is occurring in the Middle East is beyond Washington's capacity to control, and the issues the United States has some ability to influence – such as the war in Gaza – have been written off as lost causes. To be blunt, the Trump administration's record on the Middle East is inadequate so far. The results simply aren't there. And while some will argue that passing judgment after three months is unfair, it's important to note that Trump himself has set the bar high. On Gaza, it appears the US has lost interest in what is happening. This wasn't always the case. Even before Trump was inaugurated, he dispatched his trusted envoy, Steve Witkoff, to help President Joe Biden's outgoing administration solidify a three-stage ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. Trump's involvement proved to be instrumental. Wary of landing on Trump's bad side right out of the gate, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to sign onto a ceasefire he had resisted for months. The war was paused for more than six weeks, Israel received nearly three dozen Israeli hostages and humanitarian organisations used the truce to expedite aid into Gaza. Yet nothing lasts in the Middle East for long. The Israeli government refused to enter Phase 2, which mandated a negotiation to end the war permanently. Instead, Netanyahu is now preparing to flood Gaza with Israeli troops and keep them there indefinitely. Trump doesn't appear to mind any of this, even though Netanyahu's actions violate the very peace plan he helped push across the finish line. Speaking of wars, the Trump administration has broadened one in Yemen against the Houthis. Since the war in Gaza erupted in October 2023, the Yemeni militia has fired drones and ballistic missiles into the Red Sea ostensibly to pressure Israel to stop the war in Gaza. Trump has escalated the Biden administration's air campaign to force the Houthis to rethink their strategy. More than 1,000 Houthi targets have been destroyed since the Trump administration's air campaign began in mid-March, and the Pentagon has made a show on its social media feeds of US fighter aircraft taking off for bombing runs. The Houthis, though, haven't been deterred. This past weekend, a Houthi ballistic missile evaded Israeli air defences and slammed into Ben Gurion Airport, causing a temporary shutdown. On Wednesday, Israel carried out retaliatory attacks on the airport in Yemen's capital city of Sanaa. Trump had essentially backed himself into an endless tit-for-tat with an anti-American militia, but hours after Israel's Yemeni airport strike, the US president told the press that he had reached an agreement with the Houthi rebel group to end US strikes on Yemen. More promising is the ongoing nuclear talks with Iran. The country is still reeling from Trump's 2018 withdrawal of the US from a nuclear deal that lifted onerous US and European sanctions on the Iranian economy in exchange for strict, verifiable limitations on the Iranian nuclear programme. Trump now has ordered new negotiations with the Iranians, to put Tehran's nuclear work back into a box and to avoid a war whose costs would heavily outweigh the benefits. Three rounds of talks have taken place so far, with a fourth still to be scheduled. Depending on how flexible Trump is and whether Iran is confident enough in US assurances, Trump can either walk away from the process with a tangible diplomatic win or leave empty-handed. It's still early in Trump's term, so it wouldn't be fair to categorise his tenure on foreign policy matters as an unmitigated disaster. But as he prepares for his trip to the Middle East, the president is running headfirst into the reality of international diplomacy. It's taxing work, and talking about success is hardly sufficient. — Chicago Tribune/TNS Daniel DePetris is a fellow at Defense Priorities.
