30/11/05 KUALA LUMPUR (COMTEX) -- Malaysia will send fact- finding teams to explore investment opportunities in palm oil- related activities overseas, especially in those countries that have the similar climate, a senior official said here on Tuesday.

The teams would facilitate Malaysia's government linked- corporations and plantation companies to invest overseas, including engaging in negotiations with potential investors abroad, Malaysian Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Peter Chin Fah Kui said.

It's time for Malaysian government linked-corporations and plantation companies to seriously consider investing in other countries, including creating joint ventures overseas, he said during a tour to Klang, a port west of Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysia is one of the biggest palm oil producers in the world and it is keen to send its teams to friendly countries, he added.

It was reported that some countries, such as Colombia, Bolivia and Sierre Leone, had asked Malaysia to help them develop their palm oil industries.