It is said that palm oil is nature’s gift to Malaysia, and Malaysia’s gift to the world.  Palm oil is extracted from the oil palm tree (Elaeis guineensis), originally brought over from West Africa in the 1870’s.  The oil extracted has been used mostly for cooking, but with the question of depleting fossil fuel reserves, Malaysia started a programme to convert crude palm oil over to biofuel, or more specifically, biodiesel. But despite the promotion and press surrounding biofuels, a lot of people still find themselves in the dark about what biofuels are, and how they will benefit the country, environment, and the consumer. In order to shed some light on this matter, Symbiosis conducted an exclusive interview with Tan Sri Datuk Dr. Yusof Basiron, Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC).