The Star Online (16/12/2017) - JOHOR BARU: Felda will be sen­ding a petition to protest the European Union’s (EU) action to ban the import of palm oil to the region.

Felda chairman Tan Sri Shahrir Samad said it would be collecting signatures from about 100,000 settlers for the petition.

“We will send the petition to the EU representative in Kuala Lumpur as soon as possible,” he told repor­ters after attending a back-to-school programme here yesterday.

The petition, he said, would be handed over next year, adding that the matter should be taken seriously as it could threaten the livelihood of smallholders in the country.

“Felda has already conducted a meeting about the issue with the Malaysian Palm Oil Council as we know that such a move can threaten the smallholders,” he said.

He was commenting on reports that members of the European Parliament were gearing up to ratify the proposed resolution to ban importation of palm oil into the EU.

The resolution made by the European Parliament in April called for the EU to phase out by 2020 the use of vegetable oils in biodiesel, including palm oil, that are allegedly produced in an unsustainable way, leading to deforestation.

Shahrir said the “no palm oil” labelling of food products was also unnecessary as it could present a negative image.