Teresa Kok to Engage Europe on Direction of Malaysian Oil Palm Industry

(The Edge Markets/Bernama) Malaysia will engage four European countries next week on the direction of the Malaysian oil palm industry, to address the widespread anti-palm oil campaign in the continent. Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok said she would expound on the four policies of the national oil palm industry to government representatives of the four countries, during a series of visits.

She said the one-week visit begins next week involving the United Kingdom, Spain, the Netherlands and Belgium.

"I will also emphasise Malaysia's stand on the importance of environmental conservation efforts such as forest replanting and wildlife protection.

"I would also state that Malaysian palm oil operators are very concerned about the environment including wildlife protection," she told reporters after a briefing on the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification in Johor Oil Palm Planting in Taman Kota Jaya near here, today.

Kok said she would outline the country’s four new directions, namely limiting oil palm acreage across the country by setting a ceiling of 6.5 million hectares, as well as imposing restrictions on new oil palm cultivation on peatlands.

“The others are banning conversion of Permanent Forest Reserve land use for oil palm cultivation or other agricultural activities and lastly, preparing an official map of oil palm areas for public access," she said. READ MORE