PUTRAJAYA – Malaysia will be meeting US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as well as the European Union by July to explain “baseless allegations” against the palm oil industry.
Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin said her ministry had earlier reached out to CBP to set a date for the meeting during this Ramadan month, but to no avail.
“The meeting will be on the allegations that they have made, as well as to explain to them the terms that they seem to be defining differently from us.
“When we have this engagement, we can offer them a comprehension. When they understand that there are differences in the interpretations, it would reduce the baseless accusations,” she said in a press conference at her ministry here today.
Among other issues which will be discussed, she said, include allegations that Malaysian palm oil companies are practising forced labour and that foreign workers in oil palm plantations are treated badly.
Meanwhile, the Ampang MP said Malaysian authorities will be attending the ongoing dispute proceedings against the EU’s alleged discrimination against the country’s main commodity from May 8 to 18 to provide explanations on the matter.
“We will have a hearing session for 10 days,” she said briefly.
The Bersatu minister had also denied allegations made by CBP that Sime Darby Plantation (SDP) had used forced labour, causing Italian confectionery giant Ferrero to cease sourcing palm oil and palm kernel oil from the company.
“The (allegation) was not made by Ferrero, but by CBP. SDP does not supply palm oil to Ferrero and they have also issued a statement on the matter,” she said.
Last Friday, Reuters reported that Ferrero told its global suppliers to stop sourcing palm oil and palm kernel oil from SDP, saying the decision was made after the United States alleged the Malaysian company had used forced labour.
However, SDP said Ferrero is not one of its customers and has not been for a while.
Neither are General Mills and The Hershey Company, which are also mentioned in the Reuters news report, the plantation company said in a statement.
However, SDP confirmed that direct customer Cargill has decided to suspend all new sourcing of palm oil and derivative products from it, effective February 25, 2022. – The Vibes, April 22, 2022
