Day: March 29, 2022

Malaysia is prepared to assist the United Kingdom (UK) and Europe over their impending edible seed oil supply crisis, said Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin.

She noted that the British press recently indicated the UK would run into a cooking oil crisis in weeks as the seed oil supply was choked due to the Russia-Ukraine war.

“We are deeply concerned over the state in the UK and Europe following the current situation between Russia and Ukraine. And therefore, should the UK and other European nations need our assistance, we are ready to assist with supplying edible palm oil or cooking oil for their domestic and manufacturing needs,” she said in a statement Tuesday.

Zuraida said Malaysian palm oil sustainability fully adheres to the Malaysian Palm Oil Certification Council, which is based on the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil standards and consistent with the international Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil requirements.

“We see this as a humanitarian need as Russia and Ukraine jointly supply 70 per cent of sunflower cooking oil to the world,” she explained.

Noting the anti-palm oil propaganda by some Western nations, she said: “While we do not condone this misleading protectionist and distorted propaganda, we still want to offer our assistance in these trying times.

“Malaysia is a caring, friendly nation; and because of that, we are more than willing to provide Malaysian palm oil full of goodness to these affected countries.”

The minister said that Malaysia has had a long battle against Western anti-palm oil propaganda, and it is time to put the situation to rest.

“We are ready to offer immediate assistance as we do not want to see any country suffer from a cooking oil supply crisis when Malaysia is one of the biggest palm oil producers in the world,” she added.

Source: NAM News Network

— Despite vaccine shortages, logistics and the public’s reluctance to be vaccinated, ASEAN is on the right track in handling the COVID-19 pandemic, said Malaysia’s Senior Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein.

Thus far, he noted that almost 90 per cent of the high-risk population in the region has been vaccinated with at least one dose of vaccination, while in most ASEAN countries, more than 65 per cent of their population has achieved a level of immunity to COVID-19.

He said ASEAN member states have been working hand-in-hand, sharing best practices and now even coming to mutual understandings to arrange various travel bubbles and travel lanes as vaccination improves over time.

“I am certain that we are on the right track and we shall surely overcome this pandemic – emerging stronger and wiser, together.

“I strongly believe that we have only been able to stand where we are today through our shared sense of responsibility to seize the initiative and work together as we have never had before,” he said while delivering a keynote address at Putrajaya Forum 2022.

Thus, Hishammuddin said it is vital for ASEAN to continue working together, especially the leaders in the defence sphere.

Putrajaya Forum 2022 runs concurrently with the Defence Services Asia (DSA) exhibition and National Security Conference Asia (Natsec) 2022 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC), here Tuesday.

With the theme ‘Shared Regional Responsibility’, Putrajaya Forum is an informal platform for government officials, policy-makers, security experts, defence and security practitioners, think tanks as well as academicians to promote better understanding of current regional defence and security issues.

Source: NAM News Network

Singapore Defence Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen has called upon ASEAN member states to strengthen cooperation to combat cyberterrorism in the region.

Speaking to Putrajaya Forum 2022 participants here Tuesday, he noted that cyber attacks are a constant threat despite border restrictions due to COVID-19 and multi-lateral efforts by all countries are needed to tackle this issue.

“Despite COVID restrictions, terrorist groups are still active in organising, instigating and conducting attacks including in our region.

“Global terrorist groups have proven resilient and adaptable. They have kept their recruitment and radicalisation strategy and are exploiting cyber space to great effects,” he said in his presentation at the forum.

Dr Ng’s session, titled ‘Broadening Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific : Prospects and Possibilities’, was also joined by the Philippines’ National Defence Secretary Delfin Negrillo Lorenzana as the second panellist.

Putrajaya Forum 2022 runs concurrently with the Defence Services Asia (DSA) exhibition and National Security Conference Asia (Natsec) 2022, which started yesterday and will end on Thursday.

Dr Ng suggested that while each country must be able to make decisions based on their own interest to address this cross-border threat, there are shared mechanisms to address transnational challenges, to de-escalate tensions and mitigate adverse consequences.

Source: NAM News Network