Engage local players before imposing overseas standards for plantation sector, says Fadillah

KUALA LUMPUR: Overseas parties must engage local players before imposing a set of standards for the plantation sector, says Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.

The Plantation and Commodities Minister also said that Malaysia is committed to taking care of the environment as well as labour welfare in the plantation sector.

“Everyone wants to care for the environment and the workers’ welfare, including the European Union or even the United States. Malaysia is also the same.

“However, while they’re trying to execute it, they might have a different set of standards from us. We have different scenarios (here in Malaysia),” he told the reporters after the Global Business Forum 2023 at Berjaya Times Square here today (Feb 23).

The minister added that the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) is on par with the Europe-based Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) scheme.

"MSPO is on par with RSPO, in fact even better. If they want to impose some new regulations or laws (pertaining to plantations), they need to talk to us so we can work together in ensuring food security as well as taking care of the welfare of the rakyat.

“They need to recognise our efforts,” he said.

Fadillah said Malaysia is committed to ensuring the sector adheres to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) that also focuses on overcoming poverty.

“When the external parties engage with us, they will know what our efforts are on environmental sustainability and workers’ welfare.

“UN SDG outlined ‘zero poverty’ which we are also working on by ensuring that smallholders in the plantation sector can break out of poverty,” he added.

In December, the EU reached an agreement to ban sale of palm oil and other commodities linked to deforestation unless importers can show that production of their specific goods has not damaged forests.

The move has prompted outcries from Malaysia and Indonesia as the two countries are the largest exporters of palm oil.

Fadillah said there was no new land clearing being made to make way for oil palm plantations.

“There is no new land clearing or deforestation for the purpose of oil palm plantations.

“If there are, the lands were privately-owned. And they didn’t clear the forests, instead they replaced old crops with new ones (on their own lands).

“The government is committed to not clear more forests,” he added.