KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 7 — A parliamentary caucus committee is expected to be formed between members of parliament of Malaysia, Indonesia and the Asian region to discuss the importance of the palm oil industry.
Primary Industries deputy minister Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin said the establishment of the caucus would enable its members to participate in explaining their countries’ palm oil policy to the European Union (EU).
The proposal has been forwarded to some Indonesian members of parliament which responded positively, he told reporters after a media conference on Culinaire Malaysia 2019, a showcase of culinary arts, food and beverage, to be held from September 24 to 27 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center (KLCC).
“This will enable us to help each other in ensuring the international community, in particular, to understand the importance of palm oil not only to the economy but also to the society.
“As much as 32 per cent of the global resources for oil and fats comes from palm oil. Thus, if we remove the 30 per cent (palm oil resources), the world will be facing a major problem,” he said.
Elaborating on the Culinaire Malaysia 2019, Shamsul Iskandar in his speech said this year’s edition of the showcase will see all contestants displaying their knowledge and skill using palm oil as a base in all their cooking.
This collaboration was made possible through the commitment from the Malaysian Association of Hotels and the Professional Culinary Association of Malaysia with the Malaysian Palm Oil Board.
The Malaysian palm oil industry he said, has produced some of the best cooking oil in the world within the Malaysia Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) standards and framework and was well accepted by local and international culinary experts.
“I would also like to congratulate MAH for another successful edition of Culinaire Malaysia, with approximately 1,200 participants from nine countries and more than 20,000 expected visitors over four competition days,” added Shamsul Iskandar.
Organising chairperson, Culinaire Malaysia 2019 and chairperson for MAH Perak Chapter, Maggie Ong said the showcase marked an important milestone with the support from MPI and the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC).
“Culinaire Malaysia is one of the very few in the region endorsed by the World Association of Chef’s Societies and the International Food and Beverage Association,” she said. — Bernama
