“We have to get oil palm smallholder associations in Australia to talk to the farming community there to increase their awareness on palm oil.

“We also have to engage with MPs who represent agricultural and rural areas,” he said.

Shahrir was commenting on a statement that Malaysia would be sending representatives to the country for a committee hearing before the debate on the bill at the Australian parliament begins.

Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok had said the delegation to Australia would correct the misconceptions towards Malay­sia’s palm oil practices.

He had also asked the board to hold seminars and workshops in Australia for locals to participate and understand more about Malaysia’s palm oil industry.

It was learnt that the Australian Senate had passed the Food Standards Amendment (Truth in Labelling – Palm Oil Bill).

However, before the Lower House of the Australian Parlia­ment’s debate, there would be a hearing at the committee level.

Shahrir said efforts to increase awareness should not only be concentrated on the hearing but the Australian public as well.

“It is important to get into the consciousness of Australians on palm oil and its benefits,” he said, adding that a concerted effort by everybody was needed to influence the outcome of the bill.

Shahrir said one of the misconceptions of palm oil was that its consumption could lead to heart disease.

“To lower the risk of heart disease, the transfat in food should be reduced.

“The type of oil that does not contain transfat is palm oil,” he said, adding that coconut oil had in fact more saturated fat than palm oil.

He also countered misconceptions that palm oil plantations had caused deforestation and resulted in the loss of habitats for orang utans as Malaysia had sufficient parks such as the Sepilok rehabilitation centre for conservation of the primates. THE END