New palm oil slogan is more universal - Willie Mongin

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 10 --  The new slogan for palm oil campaign, ‘Palm Oil is God’s Gift”, is more universal and acceptable worldwide, Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities Willie Mongin told the Dewan Negara today.

With the change from the old slogan ‘Love My Palm Oil”, he said, the ministry is confident that Malaysian palm oil would be able to penetrate new markets such as in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and African countries.

“The government will continue to enhance existing strategic efforts and will make improvements on policies that have been implemented by the previous government.

“The ministry will also strengthen existing markets with a more robust approach," he said during the question and answer session.

He was responding to a question by Senator Datuk Razali Idris on efforts made by the government to strengthen the agro-commodity exports and address the anti-oil palm campaign among the European Union (EU) member countries.

On efforts to address the anti-oil palm campaigns in the EU member countries, Willie said the ministry has implemented various promotional programmes through the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) and the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) to increase the marketability of palm oil products to the affected countries.

“The promotional activities also involved the cooperation of the Malaysian embassies in Europe, as well as the  Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI).

"Malaysia has also established cooperation, especially in the field of research, sustainability and smallholders, for example with France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom," he added.

He said discussions were ongoing with stakeholders in  EU to resolve the issue on the negative perception for palm oil.

“Among others, we told them the outcome of scientific studies on palm oil which proves that oil palm has high nutritional value such as Vitamin E from Tocotrienol and others,” he added.

-- BERNAMA