UCAPAN ALU – ALUAN YBHG. DATUK DR. AHMAD PARVEEZ HJ. GHULAM KADIR KETUA PENGARAH MPOB SEMPENA PROGRAM SKIM INSENTIF PEMBIAYAAN TANAM SEMULA PEKEBUN KECIL SAWIT (TSPKS 2.0) DAERAH KUDAT, SABAH

Assalamualaikum WBT, Salam sejahtera and good morning.
Selamat Datang and a very warm welcome to Malaysia.

First and foremost, on behalf of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), it is my great honour and pleasure to welcome to The Honourable Richard Maru, Minister for International Trade and Investment, Independent State of Papua New Guinea, together with his distinguished delegation to MPOB.

2. We are deeply appreciative of your willingness to engage with us today. Your presence reflects the strong, cordial and steadily growing relationship between Malaysia and Papua New Guinea, particularly in the areas of trade, investment and commodity development. This visit also underscores our shared commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation and exploring mutually beneficial opportunities within the palm oil sector and related downstream industries. We are honoured to host representatives from key Papua New Guinea agencies, including the Department of International Trade and Investment (DITI) as well as industry leaders from New Britain Palm Oil Limited (NBPOL).

From the Malaysian side, we are pleased to have with us officials from the Ministry of Plantation and Commodities and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Malaysia.

Your Honourable,

4. MPOB is a custodian of the Malaysian oil palm industry. Our main function is to carry out research and development encompassing a whole spectrum of R&D activities, ranging from upstream production to downstream processing, carried out by our various research divisions. MPOB has reached an exciting milestone as it celebrated its 25 years of delivering breakthrough solutions and technological innovations for the oil palm industry on 1 May last year.
5. MPOB also provides services in regulatory measures to ensure the healthy development of the Malaysian oil palm industry. Notwithstanding the above, MPOB acts as the resource and information centre of the oil palm industry in disseminating research findings and information on oils and fats.

Your Honourable,

6. Malaysia is the second largest palm oil producer in the world with a production of 20.28 million tonnes of crude palm oil (CPO) in 2025. The oil palm is the most important agricultural crop and the industry is the pillar of Malaysian agriculture and mainstay of rural economy. The industry is an engine of growth contributing about one-third of the agriculture Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
7. Beyond scale, Malaysia has invested heavily in sustainability, innovation and governance. Through continuous R&D, strong certification systems and science-based policies, we have demonstrated that palm oil can be both economically viable and environmentally responsible.
8. It is in this context that we see strong convergence between Malaysia and Papua New Guinea. Both our countries are major palm oil producers with shared aspirations and shared challenges. We highly appreciate the opportunity to exchange perspectives and benefit from your distinguished expertise in the oil palm sector.

Your Honourable,

9. Malaysia and Papua New Guinea have long been at the forefront of the oil palm industry, contributing significantly to economic growth, rural development, and food security. Despite its importance to global food systems and development, the palm oil industry continues to face persistent misinformation, discriminatory trade measures and non-tariff barriers.
10. One such example is the European Union’s Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products (EUDR), which poses significant obstacles to palm oil exports. These regulations, while aimed at promoting sustainability, often unfairly target and disadvantage our industry, despite the significant strides we have made in ensuring environmentally responsible practices.
11. In light of this, collaboration between our two nations has never been more crucial. By standing together, we can effectively counter these challenges and continue to strengthen the role of palm oil as a sustainable and essential global commodity. Our partnership is the foundation upon which we can secure a fair and science-based recognition of palm oil’s contributions to the world.
12. In this regard, I wish to congratulate Papua New Guinea on its accession as the fourth Member Country of the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) in December 2024. Malaysia warmly welcomes Papua New Guinea into the CPOPC family. CPOPC is a vital platform that enables producing countries to articulate the true contributions of palm oil to global food security, poverty alleviation and sustainable development; address misconceptions and promote science-based narratives; and strengthen collective engagement in international standard-setting bodies.
13. Together, through CPOPC, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea can amplify our collective voice and advocate more effectively for fair, equitable and evidence-based policies affecting our industry.

Your Honourable,

14. Malaysia is committed to developing a sustainable oil palm industry. In ensuring sustainable development of the industry, the Government launched the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) Certification in 2015. The implementation of the MSPO, ensures that the country’s oil palm industry meets international sustainability requirements that cover the entire supply chain from growers to manufacturers, traders and retailers.
15. At MPOB, we remain steadfast in advancing innovative technologies, productivity-enhancing solutions and sustainable practices. We firmly believe that collaboration with Papua New Guinea, through technology exchange, capacity building, research cooperation and policy dialogue that can bring tangible benefits to both our nations.

Your Honourable, Ladies and Gentlemen,

16. Today’s engagement provides a valuable platform to explore new avenues of cooperation, strengthen trade and investment ties, and jointly address the challenges confronting the global palm oil industry. By working together bilaterally and through multilateral platforms, we can ensure that palm oil continues to be recognised as a strategic, sustainable and essential global commodity, supporting millions of livelihoods across producing countries.
17. Let us move forward together, united in purpose, to secure a resilient, competitive and sustainable future for thepalm oil industry.
18. With great honour and privilege, I would now like to invite the Honourable Minister to share a few words with us.