KUCHING: Malaysia’s export of rubber gloves is expected to increase to 225 billion units this year.
The increase will generate exports earnings of over RM20 billion as compared to 170 billion units with export earnings valued at RM17.3 billion last year.
Plantation Industries and Commodities Deputy Minister Willie Mongin disclosed this after receiving donation of medical gloves from Smart Glove Corporation Sdn Bhd corporate services director Ahmad Faizi Kamil in Putrajaya, yesterday.
Smart Gloves and the Malaysian Rubber Export Promotion Council (MREPC) yesterday donated 500,000 rubber gloves each to the ministry.
The deputy minister said according to the Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association (Margma), the global demand of rubber gloves is estimated at 330 billion units.
He said the country’s rubber glove industry is very important as exports from Malaysia met 65 percent of global demand.
“Malaysia is the world’s number one rubber glove manufacturer and the leading supplier of rubber gloves to the medical sector currently facing the critical condition of Covid-19,” he added.
In this regard, he said the government through International Trade and Industries Ministry and Health Ministry has agreed to list medical and surgical devices, especially glove manufacturing, to continue operating during the period of the movement control order (MCO).
“We will definitely focus on the rubber sector and I, hereby advise all the rubber sectors to operate and gain relief during the Covid-19 outbreak, but to remain in compliance with the SOP set by the Ministry.
“This is to enable them to operate without violating the law imposed by the government,” he added.
MREPC is one of the agencies under the ministry responsible for promoting domestic rubber products especially gloves, catheters, seismic bearing and so forth.
On a separate development, Willie said the ministry had recently received a report on two rubber gloves that have been found to be in violation of regulations which leads to environmental pollution in our country.
Stressing that the ministry did not want this to happen again, he urged all rubber industry operators to comply with all the directives set by the government and the ministry.
