INTERVIEW | Teresa Kok is prepared to face ridicule if it means she does a good job at promoting the palm oil industry.
The DAP deputy secretary-general was sworn-in as the primary industries minister in July 2018 and as a city-bred politician has been mocked in the course of learning on the job.
She took the job on just as Putrajaya had to combat the European Union's (EU) effort to ban the use of palm oil-based biofuels, which would worsen climbing stockpiles and overproduction of palm oil.
The continuous plunging of the palm oil price impacted 650,000 smallholders and affect the livelihoods of three million people who were depending on the palm oil-related industry.
It also arguably played a role in the defeat of Barisan Nasional in 2018 general election.
Kok has been teased for 'hard-selling' palm oil by claiming she looked younger by taking red palm oil a spoon every day.
She was criticised for suggesting rubber tappers work during monsoon season and urged the smallholders to diversify their crops.
In an interview with Malaysiakini and KiniTV, the unfazed politician defended her move to hard sell palm oil.
"Some Malaysians give a gift hamper with coconut oil or olive oil. My question is why does nobody give red palm oil?" she asked when touting its health value.
"Actually, we have been soft-selling (palm oil) until many Malaysians themselves do not know the benefit of palm oil," pointed out the Seputeh MP.
"If Malaysians know about the benefit of palm oil and if (we do not) face challenge in (selling) palm oil, there is no need for pushing 'Love MY Palm Oil' campaign," she said.
"When I remained quiet, others liken me to MCA. When I spoke out for palm oil, people are saying I am hard-selling. So, what should I do ?" she asked.
Willing to bear ridicule
The optimistic minister said she liked to draw positives when opposition lawmakers constantly criticised her over palm oil in Parliament.
"I have been a parliamentarian for 20 years. When did you see these kind of exchanges in relation to the primary industries ministry? Nobody 'kacau' (harass) my predecessors," she said.
"Only in my tenure that you see them participate in debate and twist my words by saying (I told smallholders) to forget about palm oil and plant bamboo instead. (They) put words into my mouth and (attempted) to run me down," she said.
"I can only say that they love me, they love me so much that whatever I say they love to twist it. (But) I am so used to, I am the target and they love to whack me.
"The more they poke fun at me on palm oil, the more attention given to palm oil. Indirectly they are helping the cause," she said.
The opposition politicians wanted to appeal to their constituents, who comprise smallholders, according to her.
It was Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad who first spoke about consuming one spoon of palm oil per day instead of her, she said.
"(On several occasions when Mahathir attended palm oil events), he never used the speech texts we drafted, (he spoke off the cuff)," she added.
Kok is planning a trip to Europe early next month to explain the efforts done by both the government and the corporate sectors to preserve the environment.
"The European parliament election will be held in May and both climate change and palm oil issue are on the agenda. So we do not put much hope in European Parliament and European Commission as they had made their stands," she said.
The proposed EU Delegated Act, which classifies palm oil as 'high risk' oil, is slated to be tabled in European Parliament in May 2019. The Act will supplement the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED) II to restrict and ban palm oil biofuel by 2030.
The sales of other palm oil-based products in EU market are expected to be impacted as well.
EU leaders need to hear 'good stories'
Malaysia exports 1.9 million tonnes of palm oil to the economic bloc annually and the EU is the second largest palm oil market for Malaysia.
Kok said she still needs to meet the government leaders of these countries to explain the efforts of reforestation and wildlife preservation by both the government and the palm oil industry in particular.
She said these 'good stories' were not reported.
"We have purchased and imported lots of products from Germany and France. It is crucial for both countries to look at our trade balance.
"It is important to talk to individual countries and ministers and make them understand efforts done by Malaysia," she said.
Other ongoing efforts by Putrajaya include moves to clear the palm oil stockpiles, explore new markets and push for more domestic consumption.
Palm oil stockpiles currently stand at slightly below three million tonnes, approximately one million extra than normal level.
For example, she said Putrajaya mulled pushing for the usage of B20 (20 percent palm oil and 80 percent diesel) after the implementation of B10 in 2018.
"Joko Widodo, in his bid for second presidential term has pledged for B100. Malaysia should do the same and we can clean up the air," she said.
She said the business community has taken the initiative to join Putrajaya in its palm oil campaign. - Mkini
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