MALAYSIA is planning to cooperate with foreign scientists and experts to assist in elevating the country’s palm oil image at the international level.

Deputy Prime Minister and Plantation and Commodities Minister Fadillah Yusof said the move was also expected to provide a natural balance to the negative perceptions related to palm, hence, would help in giving views that are not biased.

“It’s true that Vitamin E and antioxidant contents in palm oil is a matter that we should spread widely.

“That’s why I said earlier, one of it is that we should collaborate with foreign scientists to verify and help us in marketing (this).

“If locally, maybe the negative perception needs to be balanced. So we need to find people who are neutral to confirm and (help) market our product,” he said.

Fadillah said, in actual fact, the marketing programme on the advantages of Malaysia’s palm oil are broadened to new countries yet to be explored.

“For instance, we see that new market like Saudi Arabia, is one that has seen an increase in the export of our palm oil. 

“Many countries in the African continent, besides Egypt and Turkiye, we also saw that the markets have increased,” he said.

He said this when replying to an interjection from Dr Nik Muhammad Zawawi Salleh (Pasir Puteh-PN) who wanted to know if the government has plans to implement palm campaign in countries that have not been explored such as the Middle East and others.

He was also replying to an interjection from Bakri Jamaluddin (Tangga Batu-PN) who asked if there are efforts by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board to widely spread the goodness of palm oil among the Malaysian public, besides helping to improve the image of the commodity as a healthy oil.

Meanwhile, Fadillah said his ministry would intensify its efforts to promote the palm oil campaign in various languages on social media. 

“Maybe we can do more… by looking for foreign scientists and experts for talks and whatever they write or review can be recorded and disseminated whether via electronic publication or social medial,” he said in response to an interjection from Teresa Kok (Seputeh-PH), who proposed that the government do more to promote Malaysia’s palm oil in various languages on social media.

Fadillah said Malaysia is also engaged with foreign lobbyists and consultants in Europe and the United States.

“Yes, we have, we do this continually. This is the approach for Europe and the US, we have to work with the consultants and lobbyists from overseas,” he said when replying to an interjection from Larry Sng (Julau-PBM), who wanted to know whether Malaysia has engagements with foreign lobbyists and consultants specifically in Europe. – Bernama, October 30, 2023.