PUTRAJAYA: Six Malaysian lawmakers will leave for Europe next month to seek support for palm oil usage in the European Union said Minister of Plantations Industries and Commodities Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong.
The European Parliament recently passed a resolution to introduce a single certification scheme for palm oil entering the European Union and to phase out its use in biodiesel by 2020.
“The EU resolution on palm oil and deforestation is discriminatory and seriously damaging to our planters’ reputation,” he told reporters before a break fast event at his ministry here today.
“Malaysia is committed to fight this battle because EU is a trendsetter. The Malaysian lawmakers will go there to meet up with members of European Parliament,” he added.
Mah will later identify the Malaysian lawmakers but shared that this delegation would not involve ministers or deputy ministers.
He also announced that the Ministry’s secretary-general Datuk M. Nagarajan will retire this Friday, after 37 years in civil service.
Mah praised Nagarajan’s skills and experiences and went on to appoint him as special adviser on campaigns to lobby for palm oil to the EU, US and other countries.
He said Nagarajan’s new posting shall take effect 1st July 2017.
“Nagarajan will continue to advise me, given his vast experience in defeating the French parliamentary repeated attempts to increase taxes for palm oil shipped into France,” Mah said.