KUALA LUMPUR: Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok is set to lead a mission to Belgium this May to explain Malaysia’s stance on European Union’s (EU) decision to phase out the use of palm oil in biofuels in the trading bloc.
The mission will also highlight the country's objection towards EU draft delegated act that classified palm oil as “high risk” feedstock for greenhouse gas emissions.
She said this was among the more aggressive approaches taken by the government to state its position and eliminate any form of discrimination towards Malaysia.
“All this time, government agencies do not have enough funds to promote palm oil. We have not been so successful in fending off allegations thrown by those coached by anti-palm oil non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
“Therefore, I will go to Europe in May to meet with leaders who have an anti-palm oil sentiment and seek to explain further to them on the matter,” she told Bernama when met at the Pakatan Harapan government’s welfare briefing programme in Bukit Jalil today.
The draft delegated act will be reviewed by the European Parliament for two months starting March 13. Kok’s visit in May is to oppose the act, which is seen as discriminatory to developing economies and the livelihood of smallholders.
Recently, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Malaysia would consider retaliatory action against European exports if the EU proceeded to implement the delegated act. –- BERNAMA