Malaysia-Netherlands bilateral trade talks set to intensify

KUALA LUMPUR: Bilateral discussions between Malaysia and the Netherlands need to be intensified to ensure only accurate facts concerning the palm oil industry is propagated, said Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong.

Mah met with the Netherlands Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Sigrid Kaag, here, yesterday.

He described the Netherlands government’s position on unjust discrimination against palm oil as mature and rational.

On Thursday, the Netherlands announced it had joined a few other European Union countries to oppose the proposed ban on palm oil by the European Parliament.

Mah reiterated Malaysia’s commitment against the unjustified trade ban towards palm oil and to safeguard the livelihood of the 650,000 oil palm smallholders in Malaysia.

“Malaysia will not tolerate the action of parties that sabotage the income of the smallholders,” he added.

Both ministers agreed to strengthen cooperation through the Malaysia-Netherlands SubCommittee on Oil Palm.

They also witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Malaysia Palm Oil Board (MPOB) and the Netherlands’ Wageningen Food and Biobased Research on the optimisation of sustainable use of oil palm biomass .

Malaysian Palm Oil Board deputy director-general Dr Ahmad Kushairi Din (left) exchanging documents with Wageningen Food and Biobased Research biobased products scientist Dr Wolter Elbersen in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. With them are Plantation Industries...