Malaysia is striving for sustainable palm oil production to preserve its export potential and protect the environment.

The Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, stated that the Malaysian government places great importance on addressing issues related to palm oil production in the country.

These issues, especially environmental and social ones, can have a negative impact on the country's export potential amounting to 102 billion ringgit. Currently, Malaysia produces between 18.5 to 18.6 million tons of crude palm oil.

The consequences of this affect both the federal government and state authorities, which benefit from the industry through tax revenues. Additionally, a million people are employed in this sector, and there are 450,000 small farmers across the country.

“We are facing a serious problem in the world today. For the past 15 years, people everywhere have been talking about the environment,” Johari said.

“If we cannot address the environmental issue, it will affect us. Therefore, the government is conducting audits under the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification system,” he explained.

Johari noted that Malaysia should not be punished if it is found not to meet the principles and criteria of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).

“Whenever I have had the opportunity to discuss this issue with representatives from the European Union, I have always said that if they are not satisfied with the situation in Malaysia, we must work together to make our country a global leader in edible oil production,”

“On every hectare of land, we can produce 3.3 million tons of edible oil compared to soybean, rapeseed, or sunflower oils, which offer lower productivity,” he added.

He stated that Malaysia is ready to meet with representatives and discuss how to improve edible oil production and set an example for the world.

Palm oil is an important industry in Malaysia capable of driving the country's economy through resource extraction and processing.