Mislabelled palm oil blends could hurt Malaysia’s reputation abroad, Maritime experts say
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 25 — Palm oil blended in Malaysia must carry accurate declarations of origin, as any inacc...
Malaysia must ensure accurate origin declarations on its palm oil blends to maintain its international reputation, according to maritime experts. Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) Faculty of Maritime Studies senior lecturer Dr Madzli Harun emphasized that blending in Malaysia does not automatically make the product Malaysian-origin; the country of origin is determined by Rules of Origin (RoO), which consider processing methods, raw material content, and trade regulations.
Dr Harun warned that blending alone may not satisfy RoO requirements, and operators must demonstrate compliance with relevant criteria before declaring the product as Malaysian-origin. He stressed that the Royal Malaysian Customs Department, the Malaysian Palm Oil Board, and the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry must verify documentation, including import/export records, certificates of origin, and blending process records.
Traceability is crucial to identify the origin of raw materials even after blending. Dr Madzli also cautioned that false declarations could lead to reputational damage, cargo rejections, and legal action under Malaysian laws. Prof Nazery Khalid echoed these concerns, emphasizing the importance of accurate documentation reflecting the composition and characteristics of blended cargoes to avoid health risks and reputational damage.
Written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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