Sandra Lee’s new journey as a social entrepreneur balances innovation and technology with human kindness and empathy, anchored by the simple yet fundamental wish to make life easier and better for those working in oil palm estates
Last month was particularly momentous for Malaysia as the country hosted a bevy of world leaders in its capacity as chair of Asean. There were many light-hearted moments which showcased Malaysian hospitality and warmth (US President Donald Trump throwing some shapes to the theme song of Hawaii Five-O after disembarking from Air Force One at Kuala Lumpur International Airport comes to mind), but also important ones as well, where key decision-making equated to positive economic impact. One such outcome was the newly concluded Agreement on Reciprocal Trade as the US announced tariff exemptions for several Malaysian products, chief of which was palm oil.
The news was met with more than a sigh of relief, mainly because Malaysia’s palm oil exports to the US have been consistently growing. This uptick was particularly noticeable over the past two years, resulting from rising demand from the advanced manufacturing and consumer goods sectors. According to the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), palm oil products and exports increased by 8.1% to 346,000 tonnes, up from 320,000 tonnes, between January and September this year. But beyond the US supply chain, a growing demand for edible oils and downstream palm-based products also spells good news for Malaysian palm oil and it is a wave Sandra Lee intends to ride.
A feminine force
But first, an introduction — not that she needs any. To people living in and around the northern Malaysian state of Perak, she is the executive chairman of Persatuan Daybreak, a vocational training centre for people with special needs, which she co-founded in 1992. To society at large, she is the glamorous Singapore-born wife of Lee Oi Hian, chairman of Batu Kawan, which owns Kuala Lumpur Kepong, one of the world’s largest plantation companies with an extensive land bank spanning both Peninsular and East Malaysia, Indonesia, and Liberia. Those involved in retail and personal care would remember Lee as the former CEO and brand guardian of English-inspired Bostonian brand, Crabtree & Evelyn, while history buffs and local travellers would be familiar with her lovingly restored pre-war shophouse, 22 Hale Street, in Ipoh.
Lee moved to Ipoh in 1981 after her marriage. Being the spouse of an oil palm magnate, it should come as no surprise that Lee herself is well familiar with the goings-on and chatter of the industry. But merely pigeonholing her as a corporate wife or tai tai (affluent lady of leisure) is to do her an injustice. Her work with Daybreak, for example, has been nothing short of remarkable, having a tremendous impact on the lives of thousands, while establishing the non-governmental organisation as a success story of empowerment and inclusivity.
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“People think my forte is limited to shopping, travelling and knowing where to eat,” she laughs good-naturedly as we meet in the middle of Tuan Mee Estate, a working oil palm plantation in Ijok, Selangor. It was sometime in the thick of Covid-19 pandemic and over dinner (when regulations permitted small gatherings) that Lee first heard about the problems faced by plantation managers affected by the pandemic. “I was listening in on the conversations and all I heard was such bleak talk of productivity issues in the oil palm estates, as there was a severe shortage of workers.”
To those unfamiliar with the palm oil sector, it is one of the few resilient industries that remain intensely reliant on foreign labour. Besides diverse plantation conditions such as steep and undulating terrain and the fact that oil palms can reach heights of over 13m, their fruit bunches are also heavy, necessitating skilled harvesters to possess the adequate physique and staying power; hence, the domain of men, by default. Adding to the quandary is the fact that loose fruit must be collected speedily and gently, ideally within hours, to prevent bruising and degradation of oil quality. “The global lockdowns also meant that there was only an outflow of foreign workers and no new intake, due to the travel restrictions. Many workers also opted to return to their home country, despite the retention incentives offered. Serious attempts to replace them with local workers were also unsuccessful, given the nature of the work,” she sighs.
Eager to find a solution, Lee innocently queried why mechanisation was not leveraged to close the productivity gap. “It was only then that I learnt most of the estates were content in their traditional ways, with workers using a manual sickle and even buffaloes to assist in certain in-field collection. I was told that there were already some mechanised tools, such as the cantas and power barrows, on the market, but some with limitations or constraints. The impetus for purchasing expensive equipment to drive productivity was not compelling until the shortage, as the existing system was still relatively affordable.”
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Undaunted by the collective voices of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, Lee’s innate sense of curiosity made her rise to the challenge. “I am a curious person, always have been,” she says. “And no matter what the problem, I am always convinced a solution can and should be found.”
Deux ex machina
Despite the many barriers that prevented a more transformative approach from being adopted — namely, the initial investment outlay, a still relatively inexpensive labour force, and the comfort zone of existing practices — it is also widely acknowledged that a more mechanised system is essential for industry sustainability and future productivity. Given her curious streak and trained business sense (Lee majored in marketing and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Washington DC’s American University), the idea that “it couldn’t be done” served as the motivating factor for her to explore solutions.
Gripped by the intriguing task ahead, she began by evaluating key roadblocks and considering what could be done to solve the issues at hand. To onlookers, it seemed bewildering why she, a mother of four and grandmother of 10, with the undeniable privilege of living a cosseted life free of any worry, would choose to saddle herself with solving an age-old industry conundrum. “I also wonder why I do this to myself,” she laughs, pointing a finger at her head. “But just like with Persatuan Daybreak, I get so much satisfaction knowing I have done my part to contribute wherever and whenever I can. It might not be much, but I have always believed every little bit counts.”
Lee can now be self-deprecating, given that pioneering a groundbreaking new electric cutter and terrain-ready utility vehicle that improves the workflow of a sprawling estate is anything but small. Under the banner of Palmares Technology, her newly established start-up, which is headquartered in Ipoh, Perak, she aims to be an integrated solutions partner for plantation estates. At press time, the start-up has two products available on the market: the new Palma Cutter and the Palma Barrow. The new Palma Cutter has already been trialled at 16 estates in Sabah and on the peninsula.
With a tool that lightens the physical toil of cutting down the heavy fruit that easily weighs anywhere between 10kg and 30kg per bunch, harvesters can also expect to increase their income (they are paid by the weight of the fruit) and also work longer hours, especially during peak harvesting periods.
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Workers who have tested out the Palma Cutter clearly love it. “They like it because they can either achieve their daily target quota faster or harvest more bunches and, thus, earn more. They have been testing it for eight to 10 months now and have given good feedback, with at least a 15% increase in productivity. The height of the palms did pose a second set of challenges, but I am pleased to say our fixed and telescopic Palma Cutter can handle trees up to 5m in height, which should equate to a nine- or 10-year-old tree,” Lee says, smiling.
Another positive outcome is the fact that the Palma Cutter is also environmentally sustainable. Powered by batteries, it is also much quieter, with less vibration. “I have to thank God for this motivation, and for the ability to see this through,” she adds. “No part of it was easy, but I really wanted to alleviate the sheer hard labour borne by our workers. With this tool, they are less fatigued and enjoy increased productivity, which immediately equates to more income without added stress on their bodies. It is a win-win!”
The Palma Barrow, the second product offered, is a robust in-field carrier with expanded capacity and the ability to tackle 20° inclines. “This means a single worker can carry more crops in one trip, reducing the need to go back and forth. This improves load efficiency and gives harvesters more time to focus on cutting and collecting bunches before returning to the specified platforms, resulting in higher overall efficiency.”
Those intrigued recently had the chance to discover the new Palma Cutter as well as the Palma Barrow at the recent International Palm Oil Congress & Exhibition (PIPOC), which took place last week at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, and where Palmares Technology will have a booth. “I am not the first to create an electronic cutter, no. But our product is the lightest, most efficient and lowest priced on the market at present,” says Lee. “This is because I can honestly say I am not driven by profit. I am lucky and blessed with the means and support to achieve this, so what I want to see is the creation and adoption of a good product that can lighten burdens all around.”
Besides offering new lightweight and cost-effective tools, Palmares Technology is also working on the development of the Palma Map, a drone-assisted software that creates paths and connects terraces, complementing the Palma Barrow and enabling more efficient evacuation of bunches. “Even the possibility of dumping directly into bins eliminates the double handling of crops,” she says. “Happily, the managers are always keen to test new innovations and try out new machines that can help ease the burden of workers.”
Those peering from the outside in would certainly agree that the industry was ripe for innovation. In Malaysia, there are over 5.7 million hectares of plantings eagerly awaiting new and practical ideas, as well as machines and findings to improve competitiveness. It goes without saying that anything that improves yield and efficiency is always welcome.
Intention is everything
In Malay culture, there is the concept of niat (intention). And it is generally believed that good niat, coupled with sincerity, automatically receives the blessing of heaven. A devout Christian, Lee humbly attributes all of her achievements to divine grace, more so in this new and completely alien field. “I was well aware of the big risks I was taking by sticking my nose into this male-dominated industry. If my ideas failed, I would be a laughing stock!” But spurred by the simple but heartfelt wish to ease and improve the lives of plantation workers while helping address labour issues in one fell swoop, she soldiered on. “Of course, there were moments when I wanted to give up. But I chose to stay focused and told myself repeatedly that it could be done. I then closed my ears to all the naysayers and just looked ahead. And somehow, by God’s grace, I came across Greenworks.”
Greenworks turned out to be a leading global manufacturer of home, gardening and DIY equipment. A billion-dollar company recognised by Forbes, Greenworks is known for its battery-powered innovation and sustainable product design, with production facilities in China, the US and Vietnam. It was while doing her market research that Lee came across Greenworks’ tools. “It worked so well that I likened it to being the Rolls-Royce of gardening equipment,” she laughs. “I then learnt how the company was a frontrunner of the industry for 22 years already!”
Without wasting a moment, she began to track down Greenworks’ CEO to discuss the possibility of a partnership. His response? Heaven sent. “Although unfamiliar with oil palms and never having been to our part of the world before, he took the time to listen and, more importantly, said: ‘I will support you’,” she happily recalls.
Months of hard work, beginning in 2021, followed. “We went through at least 17 iterations of the electronic cutter,” says Lee, almost in disbelief at how long and arduous the process was. “The worst moment was last year, when Greenworks came to test out the product — and it failed … in front of everybody. The cutter he had created worked well for most trees, but oil palms were different! They are fibrous with silica and we needed a cutter with more powerful vibration and torque to cut through the fronds. But that disappointment turned out to be our turning point.”
Embarrassed but not defeated, the Greenworks team returned to the drawing board for the briefest of while. “They are all specialised engineers and innovators, able to react quickly. Somehow he managed to figure out what changes needed to be done and, without charging me extra, came out with a new tool that worked!”
Empathy + entrepreneurship
Driven by empathy and social impact in everything she does, Lee smiles when her work is likened to a blend of philanthropy and social entrepreneurship. “I like that word,” she says. “I credit God for the motivation, as well as the connection with Greenworks, to see a project like this through. I can tell you, there were many times when I had to just kneel down to pray for help, calm and wisdom!”
Looking ahead, Lee is nonetheless realistic about what the future holds. “We, as co-patent holder with Greenworks, have filed patents in China, Malaysia and Indonesia. This is to protect Greenworks,” she says sombrely. “As money is not the motivator, something few people are lucky enough to say, I am happy to see the e-cutter take off in the industry. If it helps people, why not, right? We hope that this improvement will stimulate future innovators to come out with something even better and scalable.”
For all her achievements, it might surprise people that all Lee wanted from a young age was to be a good wife and mother. “Who would expect Palmares, a tech-agriculture start-up to be headed by a grandmother, and not a young buck,” she asks, laughing. “I am blessed that my husband, despite constantly asking me when I will just sit still and drink wine with him, has always been nothing but supportive and encouraging. In fact, one time when I was facing setback after setback, he sweetly kept encouraging me not to give up, saying how even the motoring industry did not immediately evolve from horse and cart to Tesla. Everything has to start from somewhere and I am glad I had a part to play.”
