KUALA LUMPUR (March 29): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak thanked French President Francois Hollande for not agreeing to a bill to tax Malaysian palm oil as the palm oil industry has been an income source for more than 600,000 people in Malaysia.

Najib wrote in najibrazak.com that he assured Hollande that Malaysia's palm oil industry was developed in a sustainable and environmentally-friendly manner.

"I explained that we are also developing our own standards in the palm oil industry to be accepted by the European Union and not just France.

"We also discussed further cooperation in tourism, human capital development and education," Najib said.

Najib had earlier met Hollande during the latter's state visit to Malaysia this week.