PROTESTS from minority investors has not impeded the Malaysian government in merging three oil palm companies that it owns the majority shares in: Sime Darby Bhd, Golden Hope Plantations and Kumpulan Guthrie Bhd. Together with six subsidiary companies already listed on the Malaysian stock exchange, these three state-owned companies will all end up merged under a new umbrella called Synergy Drive Sdn Bhd.

With a capitalization of 31.4 billion Mala