By Ashley Sim
KUCHING, April 2: The Plantation and Commodities Ministry (MPIC) welcomes the United Kingdom’s (UK) acceptance into the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which will boost Malaysia and the UK’s trade relationship.
MPIC minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister, told reporters this when met following the distribution of mung bean porridge hosted by the Enam Taman Kuching Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) today at Surau Al Hidayah in Petra Jaya here.
“We welcome the UK’s decision to join the CPTPP following all of the negotiations, as well as UK Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch’s remarks on palm oil, in which she correctly dispelled the myth of deforestation.
“It is true that palm oil is a productive, healthy, widely used product that can compete with any other produced oil or fat.
“So we welcome her statement and look forward to working with the UK on commodities, and trade between the two countries will be expanded,” he said.
Meanwhile, Fadillah noted that the UK is no longer a member of the European Union (EU), and that MPIC will engage with the European Union (EU) in the hopes that the latter will recognise the efforts Malaysia is making with regard to sustainable palm oil and forest products.
“We are committed to preserving our environment and promoting good agricultural practices, and one of our goals is to achieve sustainability,” he added.
On March 31, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that the UK will join an 11-nation Indo-Pacific free-trade bloc to strengthen economic ties with new partners following its separation from the EU.
The current members of the CPTPP are Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, Peru, and Vietnam — and now the UK. — DayakDaily
