GEORGE TOWN, June 13 — The Ministry of Primary Industries calls on hotel operators to play their part and promote palm oil benefits to foreign visitors. 

Its minister Teresa Kok said they could do so when serving foreign diners at their restaurants, as well as offering premium palm oil as a condiment.

"We hope that the hoteliers can play their role by soft-selling our palm oil to the tourists in order to promote our own product,” said Kok after ‘Love our Palm Oil’ programme with Penang Hoteliers Association and Penang Chefs Association, here today.

However, she said the ministry had no plan to make it mandatory for the hoteliers in the country to use palm oil in their kitchens as there were certain dishes that could only be prepared using specific edible oils.

Among those presents at the programme, were Malaysian Palm Oil Council chief executive officer Datuk Dr Kalyana Sundram, Malaysian Palm Oil Board deputy director-general Dr Ahmad Parveez Ghulam Kadir, Penang Hoteliers Association chairman Khoo Boo Lim and Penang Chef Association president Audee Cheah. — Bernama