Section 5

to enter into contracts;

to acquire, purchase, take, hold and enjoy movable or immovable property of every description;

to convey, assign, surrender, yield up, charge, mortgage, demise, reassign, transfer or otherwise dispose of, or deal with any movable or immovable property or any interest therein vested in the Board;

to undertake and co-ordinate activities relating to research and development into the planting, production, harvesting, extraction, processing, storage, transportation, use, consumption and marketing of pepper and pepper products including pepper wastes and services related thereto;

to impose fees or any other charges it deems fit for the use of any facility relating to research, investigation, testing, advisory services or any other service provided by the Board;

Act 656

to collect and receive any moneys related to its trading activities and the use of its facilities and in consideration of other services rendered by the Board;

to enter into such negotiations and agreements or arrangements as it deems fit for the discharge of its functions;

to acquire, hold, dispose of or grant rights in connection with the results of any research conducted by or for the

Board or in connection with the results of any research undertaken by any person or organization;

to provide, with the approval of the Minister, financial or other assistance to the pepper farmers and their related activities;

to commission any person or body to carry out research or development, or both;

to award certificates of proficiency in respect of training and accredited programmes;

to undertake and co-ordinate such activities as it deems necessary for the purpose of protecting and furthering the interests of the pepper industry of Malaysia;

to regulate the pepper industry, except the planting of and research on pepper, including the implementation and enforcement of any regulation made under this Act;

to grant licences, certificates, permits and approvals under this Act in respect of the pepper industry;

to prescribe the standards or grades of pepper and pepper products; and

to do all things expedient or necessary for or incidental to the performance of its functions under this Act.

The Board may, in discharging any of its functions, in appropriate cases carry out commercial activities for gain or profit through companies which may, from time to time, be established under the Companies Act 1965 [Act 125] and such companies shall only be established after approval by the Minister with the concurrence of the Minister of Finance.

Malaysian Pepper Board 13

The Minister may make regulations prescribing any activity or interest or prescribing the terms and conditions of any activity or interest of any member, officer or servant of the Board in relation to any company established under subsection (2) or to any other company, enterprise or undertaking.

Any omission or neglect to comply with, and any act done or attempted to be done contrary to, the provisions of such regulations is an offence under this Act and the offender shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding two hundred and fifty thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to both.

Membership of the Board