Envoys urged to help palm oil fight
Published on: Friday, May 10, 2019
LONDON: Malaysian ambassadors and high commissioners have been urged to act as spokespersons and “lobbyists” to fight negative perceptions against palm oil.
This appeal was made by Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok during her visit, here, on the first leg of her mission to promote palm oil in Europe.
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Present at the event was the new Malaysian high commissioner to the UK and Northern Ireland Datuk Mohamad Sadik Kethergany, who was the first to affirm his support to the campaign.
Speaking to the Malaysian diaspora as well as invited guests at the Malaysian High Commission, here, Kok spoke about the country’s commitment to Malaysia Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification and meeting international standards.
“There is an ongoing campaign against palm oil but the campaign has changed from a health issue to environmental issues. So we need to respond to that relating to our environment, climate change and wildlife conservation.
“We are also urging the oil palm industry to try its best and meet the international standards. That’s why we are working very hard on the MSPO certification. We want to achieve one hundred per cent certification from upstream to downstream and that will include palm oil mills and refineries,” she said.
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The Minister, who was accompanied by senior officials of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board, will next visit Belgium, Germany and Italy, before returning to the United Kingdom
On the return visit to London, Kok will meet senior government officials as well as non-governmental organisations to explain the Malaysian situation on palm oil, reports NST.
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On her European tour, she said: “If their objective is against deforestation, and for them to attack palm oil and close down the palm oil industry, it isn’t going to stop deforestation.
“It will be worse. Malaysia and Indonesia are the world’s two biggest producers and if they were to stop producing palm oil, then people will have to go for other oil crops like rapeseed oil and soyabean oil.
“As demand increases, the plantation area for those crops will grow as well and that will cause even more deforestation.”
Kok stressed that Malaysia and Europe could “work together on issues close to our hearts” such as climate change and wildlife conservation.
“If you are concerned about climate change and about the orangutan, come to Malaysia and let’s work together.
“Palm oil contributes to 42 per cent of the total vegetable oil use in the world.”
She said the total palm oil cultivated area in Malaysia was 5.85 million hectares and that there was no more planting of oil palm in peatland areas.
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