We will review what we buy from EU, says DPM

BAGAN DATUK: The Government is reviewing the purchase of products from European Union (EU) countries following the economic and political bloc’s proposal to ban palm oil biofuels by 2020.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the review was decided on during last week’s Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

“If we import products from any country, and if that country makes the decision to boycott palm oil, then our Government will also stop buying from that country,” he said in his speech at the launch of the Hello Commodity Bagan Datuk programme here yesterday.

“They carry out various marketing efforts so that we buy their products, but don’t want to buy our products.

“Malaysia is not a country that can be manipulated.”

Dr Ahmad Zahid said if the ban is enforced, it would affect the income of some 500,000 smallholders across Malaysia.

According to Bernama, he stress­ed that the decision could be viewed as discrimination.

Palm oil is one of the country’s biggest commodity-based export contributors, with a value of RM71.5bil last year.

Dr Ahmad Zahid said the Government would take the appropriate steps to safeguard the future of Malaysia’s palm oil.

On Jan 17, the EU Parliament passed a resolution which requires that only sustainably-produced palm oil can be imported into the EU market after 2020.

In Teluk Intan, Plantation Indus­tries and Commodities Minis­ter Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong said Malaysia is proposing to ban im­­ports of butter from the EU in response to the discriminatory resolution.

He said butter production is not eco-friendly as it emits 10 times more carbon dioxide compared to palm oil production.

“Applying EU’s logic that palm oil is not environmentally friendly, we should ban butter from the EU, and the EU should also ban butter,” he told a press conference here yesterday.

Mah will visit five EU countries next month to take part in tripartite negotiations with its ministers and commissioners to clarify misconceptions about the Malaysian palm oil industry.

Last week, the International Trade and Industry Ministry also condemned the EU decision.

Its minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said the EU decision violates World Trade Organisation rules as it appears to be a deliberate attempt to block the access of palm oil to the EU market. — Bernama