Acquisition of Interest in Bertam Holdings, etc

Singapore Para Rubber Estates PLC
28 February 2000


Purchase of shares of Bertam Holdings PLC ('Bertam')


The  board of The Singapore Para Rubber Estates, PLC announces  that  the
Company has, on 25 February 2000, purchased 200,000  Bertam shares  at  a
price of £1.50 per share, thereby increasing its interest in Bertam  from
11.90%  to  12.85%. Bertam owns Malaysian plantations which  produce  oil
palm  fresh  fruit bunches. It also owns a 40% interest in the  Malaysian
property  group, Bertam Properties Sdn. Bhd, which is in  the  course  of
developing,  over the next ten to fifteen years, a 3,500-acre  plantation
in  Senang  State  into  a  housing, leisure  commercial  and  industrial
complex.  Bertam's  other plantations also possess  longer-term  property
development potential.

The  board further announces that the Company has subscribed for its  pro
rata  entitlement under a rights issue of new shares by Sungkai  Holdings
Limited  ('Sungkai') at a cost of £41,220. The total net funds raised  by
Sungkai amounted to £1,601,820 and were substantially applied towards the
purchase of 1,960,000 Bertam shares at £1.50 per share.

In  addition  to  the  purchase of 2,160,000 Bertam shares,  referred  to
above, other members of the M. P. Evans grouping of companies acquired  a
further  840,000 Bertam shares at £1.50 per share. The total of 3,000,000
Bertam shares acquired was sold by the Johor Corporation Group ('Johor').
Johor's remaining holding of 2,116,170 Bertam shares represents 10.01% of
Bertam's issued share capital.

Notwithstanding  that  the  consideration  of  £1.50  per  Bertam   share
represents  an  approximate 62% premium over Bertam's current  mid-market
price of 92.5 pence per share, the transaction will serve to enhance  the
asset value of the Company as the consideration represents an approximate
25%  discount to the last-published net asset value as shown by the  1999
interim report of Bertam of £1.99 per share. The transactions are in line
with  the Company's policy, established over many years, of investing  in
the Malaysian plantation sector and, more recently, property sector, at a
discount to asset value.

Further to this transaction, those members of the M.P.Evans grouping with
Malaysian  plantation  interests, namely Bertam,  Beradin  Holdings  PLC,
Padang  Senang  Holdings  PLC and  the  Company intend  to  review  their
corporate structure. This may lead to their amalgamation.



By order of the board
M.P.Evans (UK) Limited
Secretaries
28 February 2000


Enquiries:  Mr P E Hadsley-Chaplin
            Telephone:   [phone]
            Fax:         [phone]
            E-Mail:      [e-mail]