Palm oil is a major source of dietary fat for more than 3 billion people in 150 countries making it the most consumed edible oil in the world. It is also a major ingredient in the production of cosmetics, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products. However, the Malaysian palm oil industry is challenged with environmental and nutritional issues that needs to be addressed. Very often the issues arose due to poor level of awareness amongst the end-users. Thus, there is an urgent need to reach out to broader audience both locally and internationally.  

The Palm Oil Educational Outreach Webinar is aimed at young adults in tertiary education institutions in our efforts to increase their knowledge and understanding on the benefits and related issues on palm oil. The webinar was focused on three core aspects of Malaysian Palm Oil; namely science, environment, and nutrition.

The first 2021 Palm Oil Educational Outreach Webinar was held on 25 May. The event commenced with a welcoming remark by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ku Zilati Ku Shaari, Dean of Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS. It was then followed by presentations from 4 speakers. This was followed by a Forum on Career in Palm Oil Industry and Future Research Prospects moderated by Dr. Ruslan Abdullah, Director of Science, Environment and Sustainability, MPOC. An online quiz was held throughout the presentation session to encourage students’ participation.

Papers presented in the half-day webinar include:

1.  “Versatility of Palm Oil and Its Products” by Mr. Ahmadilfitri Md Noor, Sime Darby Research Sdn. Bhd.
2. “Prospect of Plantation Agricultural 4.0” byMr. Tey Seng Heng, Applied Agricultural Resources Sdn Bhd
3. “Sustainability and Conservation Efforts in Malaysian Palm Oil Industry” by Mr. Anthony K. Veerayan, Malaysian Palm Oil Council
4. “Waste Water Management Practices in Malaysian Palm Oil Industry” by Prof. Dr. Shamsul Rahman, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS

During the forum on career opportunities in the palm oil industry, there was much interest in the topic as many employment related questions were discussed. The webinar was attended by 282 online participants.