On 6th March 2023, Monday, at Zenith Hotel Putrajaya, MPOC together with KPDN, jointly organised an Engagement with Industry and Government Agencies on Enforcement of “No Palm Oil” Regulations. MPOC continues its mission in raising awareness on the importance of tackling the “No Palm Oil” issue. About 90 participants from various government agencies, relevant palm oil associations, importers, distributors, and retailers attended the event. The first half of the engagement comprised of four presentations delivered by  Dr Ruslan Abdullah (Director, Science, Environment and Sustainability Division, MPOC), Dato’ Indrani Thuraisingham (Legal advisor, FOMCA), Puan Norrani Ekhsan (Senior Director, Food Safety and Quality Division, MOH), and Puan Raja Norhayati (head of unit, Enforcement Division, KPDN). Respectively, the presentations highlighted the impacts of the discriminatory label, consumer’s perception on negative labelling, food labelling regulations in Malaysia, and the new regulations of the Trade Description Act 2011 that prohibit any discriminatory labelling, claim , or expression, against palm oil.

Dialogue session moderated by Dato’ Indrani Thuraisingham with the guest speakers as panel members ensued after a short break. Questions from participants were addressed and discussed. Participants were eager to inquire on the regulations and some also shared their views on the issue. The representatives from the industry expressed their support towards raising awareness on the labelling issue. Many urge that MPOC must continue to raise awareness on this issue across relevant industries – local and foreign. Engaging with international trade, legal, and consumer organisations, as well as governments and authorities of other countries are also necessary to effectively tackle the labelling issue.

The event was graced by Datuk Azman Adam, Head Director of Enforcement Division KPDN as he delivered closing remarks before the networking lunch.