GOVT COMBATS PALM OIL DISCRIMINATION WITH TAILORED APPROACH - NORAINI

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 20 (Bernama) — The government, through the Plantation and Commodities Ministry, has adopted a dynamic trade diplomacy strategy to address all forms of discrimination by tailoring its approach to specific key market needs.

Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad said the ministry has implemented a comprehensive approach to boost palm oil exports, focusing on compliance with international standards, market diversification and the generation of value-added activities within the palm oil industry.

“Among the initiatives undertaken by the ministry and its agencies are focusing on premium or high-quality oil markets, encouraging industry transformation towards high-value-added products, and at the same time, strengthening the implementation of MSPO 2.0 to ensure that palm oil meets international standards,” she said.

Noraini said this in response to a supplementary question from Riduan Rubin (Independent–Tenom) on the ministry's measures to enhance Malaysia's palm oil exports in light of discrimination at the international level.

Earlier, she said the ministry, through the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC), has implemented a market diversification strategy to reduce reliance on traditional markets such as India, China and the European Union.

At the same time, the ministry has also strengthened its presence in high-potential markets such as Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, North Africa and ASEAN.

As a result, 50 per cent of Malaysia’s total palm oil exports went to these new markets in 2025, while 30 per cent were exported to traditional markets versus 43 per cent in 2024, Noraini said.

According to her, the establishment of the Palm Oil Research and Technical Service Institute (PORTSIM) in Shanghai, China, has also strengthened Malaysia-China industrial and trade relations through technology transfer, product innovation and the development of new palm oil applications.

— BERNAMA