MALAYSIA will promote its palm oil as “God’s gift” in international markets, said Primary Industries and Commodities Deputy Minister Willie Mongin in the Dewan Rakyat today.

“It’s true that we will promote the slogan of ‘Sawit Anugerah Tuhan’. When translated to English it means ‘God’s gift’,” he said.

“We believe the government has the tenacity to come out with a new slogan for the domestic and international market,” said the Puncak Borneo MP, in response to Khoo Poay Tiong’s (PH-Kota Melaka) question on how the government planned to market palm oil internationally with its new slogan.

“If ‘pengkhianat’ is translated as traitor in English, how do you translate ‘Sawit Anugerah Tuhan’ to market palm oil internationally in the face of the anti-palm oil lobby,” said Khoo.

Primary Industries and Commodities Minister Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali (Kuala Nerus-PAS) told Parliament last week that the government replaced the Love My Palm Oil campaign with Sawit Anugerah Tuhan last week.

According to Khairuddin, this was his approach to counter Europe’s anti-palm oil lobby.

“I have changed the campaign to something better. The name is Sawit Anugerah Tuhan. That is my approach in my time as minister,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mongin said the government has not decided on setting a floor price for smallholders.

“We are open to helping the smallholders and will discuss this at the ministry.”

He said the government will give grants for oil palm replanting again and have asked for it to be included in the 12th Malaysia Plan.

Mongin was responding to a question from Jalaluddin Alias (Jelebu-BN) on whether the government will give grants to smallholders for replanting oil palm.

The replanting grant was converted to loans during the Pakatan Harapan administration. – July 28, 2020.