MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th March, 2019) Malaysia may retaliate against the European Union plan to curb palm oil use by purchasing new fighter jets from China instead of European arms companies, local media reported on Sunday, citing the country's prime minister.
The European Commission released a draft regulation in mid-March, that if adopted may significantly reduce the amount of palm oil used in biofuel in the European Union, arguing that palm oil cultivation causes excessive deforestation. Malaysia, one of the world's largest producers and exporters of palm oil, has expressed its concerns.
"We can retaliate if they do not want to buy our palm oil. We do not need to buy their products, too. I have just returned from Pakistan where there was a national parade and there was an impressive aerobatic performance by fighter jets made in China ... If we have to buy fighter jets, we will take into consideration those made in China and we can buy them," Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said as quoted by Malaysian news outlet New Straits Times.
Mohamad also said that Malaysia would look into further reducing its dependence on the EU products.
If the European Union moves toward curbing palm oil imports from Malaysia, up to 600,000 palm plantation workers in the Southeast Asian country, according to Mohamad, could potentially lose their jobs and source of income.
