UK, Malaysia collaborate to promote sustainable palm oil, conservation efforts

KUALA LUMPUR – The United Kingdom (UK) government has expressed commitment to collaborate with Malaysia on environmental conservation and sustainable palm oil production.

British High Commissioner to Malaysia Ailsa Terry said the UK aimed to introduce legislation that will encourage importance of palm oil, meeting high sustainability standards, while Malaysia continues its efforts to protect its natural ecosystems and wildlife, ranking it as one of the top priorities alongside governance and nature.

“It is important to preserve Malaysia's rich biodiversity, including animals, insects, birds and wildlife.

“In fact, Malaysia should share more about its actions to combat deforestation, particularly by highlighting the role of palm oil in environmental sustainability,” she told Sinar Daily in an exclusive interview.

She said she even met with Malaysian Plantation and Commodities Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof when the latter visited London where they discussed about the UK approach.

“When I met him (Fadillah), we had a great conversation about the UK approach. So what we're going to do is we're coming forth with a legislation quite soon, which doesn't recognise any particular country.

“But what it says is, if you meet this standard within the supply chain, please do import your palm oil here,” she said.

Terry added that the UK-Malaysia partnership was set to flourish under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which eliminates 99 per cent of tariffs on trade between the two nations, including palm oil.

However, she acknowledged the challenges posed by consumers’ concerns surrounding palm oil in the UK and Europe.

“Many products in the UK bear packet labels that they are ‘made without palm oil’, reflecting public apprehension,” she said.