He said the federal government has decided to allow activities and operations related to agriculture and fisheries to continue during the movement control order (MCO).
Anifah said the state government should consider all aspects before deciding on the matter.
He said production of cooking oil will be reduced if employers lose their ability to make payments to workers. This will also lead to widespread lay-offs.
Anifah said the federal government had given much thought to this and thus the decision to allow industries related to food production to continue.
He said transport companies had also been given the go-ahead to transport agricultural products.
Anifah noted the palm oil sector contributed around RM1 billion tax revenue to the state government.
He said Sabah should not use the “no money” reason later on when it came to extending aid to the people should the palm oil sector one day be no longer able to contribute to the economy as before.
Sabah produces about 25% of the country’s palm oil.
“Planters on the ground are already lamenting huge crop losses and that their fields have gone unattended and weeds are creeping in,” the Malaysian Palm Oil Association and Malaysian Estate Owners Association said in a joint statement on Tuesday.
“Any prolonged shutdown will only worsen the situation. This will entail remedial rehabilitation work post-Covid-19, which will be costly,” it said.
Malaysian Palm Oil Association chief executive Nageeb Wahad told Reuters the industry estimated a loss of 500,000 tonnes of fresh fruit bunches, valued at RM430 million from a 14-day closure.
Malaysian palm giants, including Sime Darby Plantations and FGV Holdings, have also urged the state to reopen plantations.
Sabah Chief Minister Shafie Apdal on Tuesday told reporters that he would discuss the shutdown order against plantations and millers with the Cabinet on Wednesday.
“Factories with positive coronavirus cases cannot reopen, because I don’t want to endanger the public,” Shafie said.
Last week, Sabah expanded the shutdown of palm oil plantations and factories from three districts to six, until April 14, after several estate workers tested positive for the virus.
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