‘Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand ready to retaliate over EU move’
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand are ready to retaliate over European Union’s (EU) discrimination and attack on the palm oil industry, said Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong.
On April 4 l ast year, the EU Parliament passed a resolution to introduce a single certification scheme for palm oil entering the EU market and phase out the use of palm oil-based biodiesel by the end of 2020.
On October 23 last year, the Industry, Research and Energy Committee endorsed the move and this was followed by the support of EU Parliament’s Environmental Committee on November 28.
Mah said global trade politics is akin to crop apartheid as the EU Parliament has erected trade barriers. This may breach EU’s World Trade Organisation commitments and is likely to jeopardise the Malaysia-EU freetrade agreement negotiations.
“If these hate campaigns and discriminatory policy against palm oil were to go on, we can also retaliate. Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand are collectively big purchasers of EU products ,” said Mah after opening the Reach and Remind Friends seminar and dialogue organised by Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC), here, yesterday.
Also present were Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry secretary-general Datuk K. Yogeeswaran, Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) chairman Datuk Ahmad
This year, our planters are hopeful of a higher target of RM80 billion as production is forecast to surpass 20 million tonnes while prices firm up on strong global demand. DATUK SERI MAH SIEW KEONG Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister
Hamzah, MPOB director-general Datuk Dr Ahmad Kushairi Din and MPOC chairman Datuk Lee Yeow Chor.
For the past year, Mah said he has met and spoken with many EU ambassadors.
“We hope the EU will stop discriminating against the global palm oil industry.”
Mah said oil palm planters across Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand deserve equal opportunities to trade and the EU should stop discriminating against palm oil in favour of its rapeseed and sunflower sectors.
He said the liveliho o d of Malaysia’s 650,000 small farmers are stunted by trade barriers put up under the guise of environmental protection.
“Why is oil palm cultivation demonised when it is proven to be the most sustainable oil crop compared to rapeseed and sunflower grown in the EU?
“Why are our oil palm planters being discriminated against? What we want are equal opportunities to trade our palm oil. Is that too much to ask?”
On Malaysia’s palm oil export last year, Mah said it is expected to surpass RM75 billion.
“This year, our planters are hopeful of a higher target of RM80 billion as production is forecast to surpass 20 million tonnes while prices firm up on strong global demand,” he added. Ooi Tee Ching