PETALING JAYA: The Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities (MPIC) is prepared to assist the United Kingdom and Europe over their impending edible seed oil supply crisis.
Its Minister, Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin said they were deeply concerned over the crisis in UK and Europe due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
"If the UK and other European nations need our assistance, my Ministry is ready to assist with the supply of edible palm oil or cooking oil for their domestic and manufacturing needs.
"We view this as a humanitarian need," she said, stressing that Malaysia's palm oil was sustainably planted and harvested.
Malaysian palm oil sustainability fully adheres to the Malaysian Palm Oil Certification Council (MPOCC) which is based on the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) standards, she said in a statement today.
Zuraida added that it was also consistent with the international Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) requirements.
Reports by the British press recently indicated that the UK would run into a cooking oil crisis in a matter of weeks as seed oil supply was choked due to the Russia-Ukraine war.
Russia and Ukraine jointly supply 70 per cent of sunflower cooking oil to the world.
"Despite the anti-palm oil propaganda by some Western nations, I want everyone to know that while we do not condone their protectionist and distorted propaganda, we are still friends.
"Malaysia is a caring, friendly nation and as friends, we are more than willing to help one another," she said.
Malaysia has long battled against Western anti-palm oil propaganda, which Zuraida said, must be put to rest.
"My ministry stands ready to offer immediate assistance as we do not want to see any country suffer from a cooking oil supply crisis when Malaysia is one of the biggest palm oil producers in the world," she added.
