IN a world shaped by Gen Y and Z - where stories unfold in mere seconds, opinions are formed before the “loading” circle even finishes spinning, and attention spans evaporate faster than oil in an overheated wok – communicating the palm oil story demands far more than facts.
It calls for creativity, resources, and the agility to dance between science and storytelling without slipping on a proverbial banana peel.
I’ve long argued that our industry needs smarter, sharper, and far more soulful communication about oil palm (the tree) and palm oil (its remarkable products).
Ideas? We’ve never been short.
They hang as abundantly as ripe fresh fruit bunches in a good cropping month - rich, red, and begging to be harvested.
What we often lack isn’t imagination, but the vision, will, and resources to turn those ideas into communication that resonates far beyond our plantations, supply chains, and boardrooms.
This is why the Malaysian Palm Oil Board’s (MPOB) new Palmy cartoon-inspired video series, unveiled at the recent Pipoc International Palm Oil Congress and Exhibition in Kuala Lumpur, felt like a long-awaited monsoon shower after a dry spell.
It marks a meaningful step forward – a signal that our industry is finally learning to speak the language of a new generation with confidence, clarity and a touch of charm.
I was told the idea was sparked by Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, who deployed the 10th and 11th Malaysia Plans funds to lift palm-oil communication into a new era.
Kudos to him. It takes real foresight to realise that science alone won’t win hearts; the way we tell the story decides how the world sees us.
It is refreshing to see a policymaker grab the bunch by the stalk and invest in modern, strategic storytelling.
This is exactly the kind of top-down push needed to ignite bottom-up excellence. But like any good replanting programme, one strong start isn’t enough - more must be funded, nurtured and driven forward.
Palm oil by Upin & Ipin
Last year, the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) delivered a masterclass in creative communication by partnering with Les’ Copaque Production to produce a special Upin & Ipin episode on palm oil in Season 18.
The results were nothing short of phenomenal. To date, the episode has pulled in close to 80 million views – proof that when a message is wrapped in culture, charm, collaboration and two cheeky bald twins, it doesn’t just travel far ... it takes off.
The success was so overwhelming that more palm-oil storylines made their way into Season 19.
By leveraging Malaysia’s most beloved animated duo, MPOC transformed sustainability, nutrition and best industry practices into a storyline children adore and parents’ trust.
Awareness of Malaysian palm oil was promoted in a fun, interactive and irresistibly relatable way.
The magic lay in the balance: educational yet entertaining, scientific yet heartwarming, informative without ever being preachy.
When storytelling meets strategy, palm oil education stops sounding like a lecture and becomes a shared national conversation – or in this case, a viral cartoon sensation.
Kudos. Let’s drive it forward!
When myths fry faster than facts
The two projects above by MPOC and MPOB are strong beginnings, but let’s not kid ourselves – two sparks don’t make a bonfire.
If we are serious about shifting global perceptions and securing Malaysia’s place in the edible-oil universe, we must treat these efforts as the appetiser, not the main course.
We need more engaging stories, more platforms, more partnerships, and far more resources – because palm oil deserves a full orchestra, not a lone bamboo flute trying its best at the back of the gamelan.
In a world where misconceptions spread faster than breaking news – and certainly faster than anything reviewed by a scientist with a conscience – both agencies have stepped in like a calm, steady hand on the frying ladle.
Their content is crisp, accessible and grounded in evidence.
They avoid the two great sins of modern communication: unnecessary drama and defensive panic.
Instead, they serve explanations the way a good hawker serves roti canai – hot, golden, authentic and deeply satisfying.
What MPOB has done with the Palmy series is particularly clever.
The YouTube videos don’t rely on slogans; they bring out the real chemistry – triglycerides, saturation ratios, thermal oxidation, heating cycles – and present them in a way even many non-scientists can savour.
The videos took “heavyweight” chemical terms – PTAG (polymerised TAGs) and OxTAG (oxidised TAGs) to acrylamide, fatty acids including trans-fat, and even PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) – the kind usually reserved for lab coats and lecture halls, and somehow makes them more digestible for the rest of us.
It turns “non-layman” chemistry into bite-sized storytelling, served hot and crispy enough for even a pisang goreng lover to enjoy.
A timely narrative shift, served with science
Palm oil may be the world’s most consumed edible oil – over 35% of global output – yet few outside our industry truly understand why it performs so brilliantly in the wok.
Frying stability, one of its strongest selling points, has rarely been communicated with clarity. That’s why the Palmy series arrives right on cue.
As consumers grow more discerning about food safety, oxidation, acrylamides and the lifespan of their cooking oil, MPOB steps in with transparent, science-backed explanations that finally answer the “why.”
Malaysian palm oil doesn’t just claim to perform better – the chemistry, data and real world frying trials show it.
What makes the series shine is its ability to speak to both the head and the palate.
Heavyweight concepts are translated into plain, savourable language. You don’t need a chemistry degree to understand why your keropok lekor stays crisp or why your fryer lasts longer.
The balancing act of clarity and credibility strengthens MPOB’s standing as a global research leader.
For an organisation long rooted in lab coats, seminars and technical bulletins, this leap into polished, platform-friendly video content is refreshing – and frankly, overdue.
The series speaks fluently to Gen Z, small and medium enterprises, hawkers, nutritionists and even international audiences.
At last, Malaysia is telling its palm oil story from a place of strength.
And the impact? Food processors get better quality parameters. Kopitiams and hoteliers gain reassurance on value.
Students and researchers get a crash course in edible-oil science.
Policymakers and overseas buyers see transparency at work. This isn’t just content – it’s soft power, skillfully fried and served for the digital age.
A beginning worth building upon
For years we’ve declared - sometimes loudly, sometimes wearily – that Malaysia must “tell its palmoil story better.”
Well, MPOC’s Upin & Ipin episodes and MPOB’s Palmy series finally show what “better” looks like.
They pull us away from cliches and needless controversy, steering the narrative toward competence, confidence and credibility.
They prove that palm oil is not defined by the noise of external critics, but by the quiet excellence within our own industry: agronomy, chemistry, sustainability, innovation, and decades of hard science.
They also affirm what industry veterans have long known and shouted into many boardrooms and conferences: Malaysian palm oil isn’t just another edible oil. It is the world’s most versatile, stable, and scientifically robust frying medium - and yes, the data, not the drama, proves it.
But the journey doesn’t end with a cartoon and a video series. If we want to take this further, multilanguage subtitles — especially in the languages of our major importing nations - would instantly widen our global reach.
Featuring hawkers, chefs, and everyday food operators would humanise the science and add a layer of delicious authenticity. Companion infographics could arm teachers, trainers, and youths with palm-oil literacy that sticks.
And why stop there? Engage youth groups like Regenerasi with their MyPalmPride initiative.
Speak to the youths - and more importantly, listen to them. Ask what excites them, what they want to know, and how they would tell the palm-oil story.
After all, no one understands the next generation’s appetite better than the next generation itself.
And longer-term storytelling could cover nutrition, MSPO, climate resilience, mechanisation, and palm-based innovation and sustainability.
There are gaps and room for continuous improvement. These are friendly nudges to level up while the oil is hot.
Because in a global conversation fogged by emotion, misinformation and old prejudices from the pre-TikTok era, effective communication cuts through the haze with what truly matters: clear science, clean frying, and a proudly Malaysian story fried to perfection.
The communication efforts now bubbling from MPOB and MPOC are exactly the kind of modern, science-rooted storytelling Malaysia needs.
They reaffirm MPOB’s credibility as a world-class research institution and MPOC’s role as a dynamic promotion agency - and together they show that Malaysian palm-oil industry can lead not only in agronomy and yields, but also in narrative craft grounded firmly in facts, chemistry and common sense.
That said, the real magic will happen when both organisations walk the same path, pool their resources and play to each other’s strengths.
Synergy isn’t just a buzzword; in an industry this important, it’s a necessity.
For those of us who have lived and breathed this sector for decades, these initiatives are not just refreshing - they are long overdue.
And if MPOB, MPOC and other relevant stakeholders keep turning up the heat in all the right ways, then one day, even the loudest critics might finally concede: “Now that’s a frying story worth sharing.”
Joseph Tek Choon Yee has over 30 years experience in the plantation industry, with a strong background in oil palm research and development, C-suite leadership and industry advocacy. The views expressed here are the writer’s own
