Malaysia irked by SL’s palm oil ban

7 April 2021 09:33 am - 3 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Malaysia, one of the key sources from where Sri Lanka imports palm oil, appears to have been visibly irked by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s move to ban palm oil imports.

Malaysia’s Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities Datuk Dr. Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali was quoted by Malaysian media as saying that the Sri Lanka’s decision will have no effect on the country’s oil palm industry.

“The world has a population of over seven billion people and we are confident our palm oil will be accepted worldwide.

“If one party is not interested, many more are interested and most importantly we give the best quality in the country’s palm oil production,” Razali was quoted as saying.

He had added that the restrictions imposed by Sri Lanka is a discrimination as Malaysian palm oil is of best quality and has achieved 90 percent Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification.

“Sri Lanka needs to get complete information from the Malaysian government on the efforts made so that our right to market palm oil abroad is not disputed,” he said.

It is estimated Sri Lanka imports about 200,000 tonnes of palm oil from Malaysia and Indonesia annually.

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Comments - 3

Ranjith Wijesinghe Wednesday, 07 April 2021 12:01 PM

Growing palm oil trees is environmentally destructive. It is also VERY unhealthy to consume !!!

Robert Hii Wednesday, 07 April 2021 06:51 PM

The Malaysian Minister is correct. I have personally seen the forests and palm oil industry impact in Malaysia. Environmental disaster as reported by Western media is nowhere near the truth. I understand the President is grappling with criticism of his office even though his tenure is short. But to make a decision that will hurt employment in the farming sector at a time when food prices are skyrocketing is perhaps not the best one. Other media have blamed his decision on a concern for the environment in palm oil producing countries but should that reign over affordable food for Sri Lankans? And why uproot local plantations when they provide so many jobs and reduce forex loss from imports? In my humble opinion, the President should have demanded that safety standards for palm oil as demanded by other countries apply to Sri Lanka's coconut and palm oil imports. That would guarantee Sri Lankans a source of healthy food oils while the local industries built independence from imports.

Martin Milton Wednesday, 07 April 2021 08:37 PM

It does not matter if Malaysia is irked. Sri Lanka HAS to protect her citizens from consuming unhealthy fats as far as possible. Hence PLEASE do NOT reverse this important and significant ban. MM

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Malaysia irked by SL’s palm oil ban

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