31.   Lim said the refusal of natural rubber consumer countries to renegotiate intervention rates was totally unacceptable because the price of natural rubber was ridiculously low.

32.   Lim said this was puzzling as there was enough demand for natural rubber in the international markets.

33.   Malaysia is the third largest producer and exporter of natural rubber after Indonesia and Thailand.

34.   Natural rubber has a higher quality than synthetic, primarily because some of its properties, like elasticity and malleability, cannot be reproduced.

35.   Now, locals have to hedge from exchanges in the US, the UK and Japan for commodities such as natural rubber, tin and cocoa.

36.   Sentiments, they said, however, remained firm with the current wet season putting a strain on natural rubber supplies nationwide.

37.   Researchers believe the economic benefits would be huge because all the natural rubber used in the United States is imported mostly from Brazil and Malaysia.

38.   Rubber under the current provision only covers natural rubber and elastomer.

39.   Synthetic rubber was invented due to the adversity resulting from a great shortage of natural rubber in the world.

40.   Synthetic rubber was not invented when there was an abundance of natural rubber.