Indonesia and Malaysia, the world’s biggest producers of palm oil, yesterday agreed to work together to fight “discrimination” against the commodity after a meeting between leaders from the countries.
It was new Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s first foreign trip after last month winning a confidence vote and cementing his mandate following an inconclusive election.
Ibrahim, a long-time opposition leader, was sworn in as the country’s 10th prime minister on Nov. 24 to head a unity government in a shaky alliance with the graft-tainted party of his former political rivals.
Photo: AFP
He met Indonesian President Joko Widodo for talks at the presidential palace in Bogor, south of the capital, Jakarta.
“This is a bit personal, Mr President. When I was in a difficult situation, living in uncertainty and suffering, Indonesia welcomed me as a true friend,” Ibrahim said after the meeting.
Widodo said the two countries would “fight discrimination against palm oil” and “strengthen cooperation through the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries” to address concerns.
The EU plans to phase out palm oil-based fuels by 2030 because of perceived links to deforestation.
During their meeting, Anwar and Widodo signed eight memorandums of understanding covering shipping, export-import financing, green energy and the development of the battery industry, which they said they hoped would deepen cross border trade and investment.
The leaders also discussed the development of Indonesia’s planned new capital, Nusantara, with Anwar handing over 11 letters of interest from Malaysian companies related to possible investment in the new city in the Indonesian portion of Borneo.
With the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak located in the Malaysian part of Borneo island, the new capital could boost regional development, Anwar said.
“We hope the development of the capital will bring greater benefits to the wider region, including on Sabah and Sarawak,” he said
It is customary that the first foreign visit of a new Malaysian prime minister takes place in neighboring Indonesia, which counts Kuala Lumpur as its fifth biggest export market.
The leaders also spoke about migrant worker rights after Indonesia last year imposed a temporary ban on recruitment to Malaysia where the majority of Indonesian migrant workers reside.
Eight Malaysian companies have also signed memorandums of understanding with Indonesian firms worth up to 1.66 billion Malaysian ringgit (US$379.2 million), the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
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