PUTRAJAYA (March 19): Malaysia should be more aggressive in addressing the proposed restriction towards palm oil use in the EU, said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today.

Dr Mahathir said this in response to a question on whether Putrajaya agrees with the views of oil palm smallholders that the Government should use political and economic means to put a stop to the unfair treatment by EU nations towards the commodity.

However, Dr Mahathir declined to draw the exact line that will trigger such actions by the Malaysian Government.

“We agree that we should be more aggressive,” said Dr Mahathir.

“In fact we have written to all the heads to the Governments of the European Union.

“We have pointed out to them that of course we need to retaliate if they continue with this unfair discrimination against palm oil,” he told reporters at a press conference after the seventh Cabinet Special Committee on Anti-Corruption (JKKMAR) meeting here.

On March 6, representatives of Malaysian palm oil producers from Felcra Bhd, Federal Land Development Authority Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority and Malaysian National Association of Smallholders requested the Government to drop its diplomatic approach of educating EU members about sustainability of palm oil production, and to approach the matter through political and economic means.

EU countries, such as Norway and France, are planning to ban palm oil from biofuel from 2020 onwards.

Reuters reported that last week, the European Commission (EC) concluded in a draft regulation that palm oil cultivation causes excessive deforestation and its use in biofuels will be reduced to zero by 2030.

It has been reported that Indonesia and Malaysia have agreed to send their envoys to meet the European Parliament on April 7 and protest against the plan, which will be submitted to the EC’s higher body, the European Union Parliament within two months from now.