KUALA LUMPUR: The clip of speech by Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin about orangutans which has gone viral was edited and taken out of context.
The ministry in a statement said as a result, the clip was distorted and did not entirely reflect her entire speech.
"Certain parties have chosen to cherry-pick the speech to present a distorted view about Malaysia's consistent stance of promoting a robust oil palm industry, that could co-exist and flourish in a sustainable ecosystem.
"These quarters are only undermining the ministry's and Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) efforts to promote Malaysian palm oil.
"We call on social media users to stop sharing such distorted content (from the speech) as this will trivialise the great efforts made by MPOC staff and its agencies which have been displaying huge commitment in promoting Malaysian palm oil," it said today.
The statement said certain parties also made the attempt to distort the minister's exact words, said in jest, to reflect badly on her and the ministry.
The ministry also explained that Zuraida was sharing her experience during a recent trip to Saudi Arabia, where a Malaysian ambassador there had related to her about some of the things he learned in the country when it came to palm oil.
"The reason why orangutans were brought up was for the relevant agencies to study further the habitats and living habits of the species, in line with the country's sustainable goals of promoting biodiversity.
"The findings would then be presented to foreign stakeholders like the European Union, where strong anti-palm oil lobbyists are operating that could harm the sector's long-term interests," the statement added.
A video clip that went viral was reportedly recorded at the Malaysian Palm Oil Council's 2022 seminar and dialogue on Jan 5.
