Kuala lumpur: The hypocrisy surrounding global environmental policies must stop, said Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) chairman Datuk Mohamad Helmy Othman Basha, who called out the continued double standards against palm oil.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Mohamad Helmy highlighted that over the past three decades, palm oil has been unfairly portrayed as an environmental villain, while fossil fuel producers-whose emissions are the largest direct cause of climate change-have largely escaped equivalent moral outrage. He noted that while fossil fuel use is often excused in the name of ‘energy security’, sustainable palm oil is banned in the name of ‘deforestation’. He argued that these double standards pose a new challenge that affects global availability itself, especially in developing countries.

Mohamad Helmy, who is also the SD Guthrie Bhd’s group managing director, emphasized that the persistent negativity towards palm oil has led to declining global availability. This is because producing countries like Indonesia are increasingly turning inward to meet domestic demands. He pointed out that Indonesia is already running B40 biodiesel, with B50 on the horizon and B60 under discussion, while Malaysia is advancing toward B30. Each increase in blending means more palm oil is used domestically for energy, resulting in less being available for export.

He remarked that while the global North debates whether to ‘phase out’ palm oil, the two biggest producers are blending it for fuel. Consequently, the world is losing access to the most efficient, most productive, and most sustainably produced vegetable oil. Mohamad Helmy asserted that every government acts in its own national interest, and developing nations like Indonesia and Malaysia have the right to do the same.

He warned that if the world continues to reject palm oil with one-sided, myopic, and colonial thinking, it will pay the price in terms of food security, affordability, and even in achieving climate targets. Citing data from the World Resources Institute and Global Forest Watch, he noted that both Malaysia and Indonesia have made significant progress in reducing deforestation. Malaysia recorded a more than 60 per cent decline since its peak, and Indonesia consistently achieved its lowest rates on record, while both nations maintain over 50 per cent forest cover-a figure higher than many developed countries.

Mohamad Helmy criticized the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), stating that Malaysia’s ‘standard risk’ rating was unjustified despite its strong record. He described the imposition of stricter standards on developing countries as a form of ‘economic apartheid’ that fails to consider land use and deforestation alongside economic needs. He concluded by suggesting that the only equitable and ethical solution for poorer countries is to allow them to use their natural resources, even if it means losing some forest to stimulate economic activity for their people.