KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 19): Malaysia intends to form a joint mission with Indonesia to visit Europe and other palm oil importing countries to address environment concerns arising from the vegetable oil plantation activities, said Deputy Prime Minister and Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.

“One of my intentions of meeting my counterpart in Indonesia [next month] is we have a joint mission between Indonesia and Malaysia, going to the EU (European Union) and the rest of the world as one group, this is where the relationship will be strengthened.

“We can strategise together by working with Indonesia. I believe we will be able to address whatever concern and negative perception about our oil palm,” he told reporters here after witnessing a cooperation agreement signing ceremony between Digistar Corp Bhd and Indonesian diversified group PT MNC Asia Holding Tbk to provide internet TV services for Malaysian hospitality and residential markets.

This came after Fadillah last week reportedly said Putrajaya may consider halting export of palm oil to the EU in retaliation for the bloc’s new deforestation regulations.

“What I said previously (in the statement) is actually we need each other. Europe needs us [and] we need Europe, this is about trade. But everything has to be fair, we cannot discriminate against each other,” said Fadillah on Thursday (Jan 19).

“If there are weaknesses on our part, tell us, so that we can improve, so that is what we are looking at. In fact, I am going to Indonesia next month, meeting my counterpart, as a follow-up to the visit between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the Indonesian President, who have come up with a certain agreement, and now we have to work out all the details.

“By working together, we can improve whatever products [that are] coming out of the two nations. Hopefully by then, the rest of the world can accept our product,” he added.

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