Menjejaki mekanisme kawalan ke atas aktiviti orang tengah dalam rantaian pengeluaran hasil pekebun kecil kelapa sawit di Malaysia (Intermediaries’ activities within Malaysia’s oilpalm smallholding supply chain: A study of the control mechanism)

Artikel ini bertujuan meneliti mekanisme kawalan yang berperanan untuk mengawal selia aktiviti orang tengah dalam rantaian pengeluaran dan pemasaran hasil pekebun kecil kelapa sawit di Malaysia. Kajian ini melibatkan temu bual mendalam dengan wakil dari Unit Penguatkuasaan dan Pelesenan, Lembaga Minyak Sawit Malaysia (MPOB). Hasil kajian mendapati wujud mekanisme kawalan formal yang sistematik di bawah pentadbiran agensi bertanggungjawab iaitu Lembaga Minyak Sawit Malaysia (MPOB). Dapatan kajian ini penting untuk memberi pendedahan tentang bentuk peraturan kawal selia ke atas orang tengah dalam industri sawit. Kajian ini mendapati bahawa pembabitan orang tengah industri sawit dengan pekebun kecil berlaku dalam bentuk penyedia khidmat nurseri benih dan/atau peniaga buah sawit (DF). Secara umumnya, pelaksanaan kawalan dioperasikan melalui kawalan pelesenan di mana pematuhan syarat-syarat dijadikan saringan kepada proses kelulusan permohonan lesen bagi orang tengah terlibat. Artikel ini juga telah menonjolkan beberapa peluang kajian yang berpotensi untuk diteroka pada msa hadapan berkaitan isu etika di kalangan orang tengah dalam industri sawit Malaysia. Katakunci: kawalan, mekanisme kawalan, orang tengah, pekebun kecil, sawit, rantai pengeluaran This article aims to investigate the control mechanisms designed for supervising the activities of intermediaries within the supply and marketing chain of oilpalm smallholdings in Malaysia. This study involved an in-depth interview with informants sampled from the Department of Enforcement and Licensing of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB). The findings revealed the existence of formal, systematic control mechanisms under the jurisdiction of MPOB as the responsible authority. This finding is vital in shedding light on the types of controlling rules that govern the behaviour of intermediaries within the country’s oilpalm industry. The study also found that the intermediaries involvement occurred in the form of providing seed nursery services and/or as fruit dealers (DF). Generally, the implementation of control was operationalised through the licensing process in which all intermediaries must adhere to the requirements that had been established as the screening mechanism for license approval. The findings also pointed to some ethical issues within the intermediaries operations which could be fodder for future studies. Keywords: control, control mechanism, intermediaries, oilpalm, small holders, supply chain