24/09/05 KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - Malaysia's "palm oil king", Danishentrepreneur Borge Bek-Nielsen, has died at the age of 79 after spending alifetime nurturing one of Malaysia's key industries, relatives said.

Bek-Nielsen built United Plantations (UP) into one of the country's mostsuccessful palm oil enterprises after arriving in Malaysia in 1951 amidthe tumult of the communist insurgency.

Working initially as an engineer, he rose through the ranks of theDanish-founded firm to become chairman in 1978.

He became a well-known advocate for Malaysia's palm oil interestsdomestically and internationally, famously fighting a negative 1980scampaign against palm oil which was run by the American SoybeanAssociation.

Bek-Nielsen was awarded Malaysia's highest civil title of "Tan Sri" in1996 in recognition of his contributions to the industry.

Star daily columnist Wong Sulong said the entrepreneur earned the title of"Malaysia's palm oil king" even though he only controlled a mid-sizedplantation empire.

"The palm oil king title is a tribute to a man who spent more than half acentury in the industry, whose knowledge about the commodity is unrivalledand also to his passion in promoting and defending the palm oil industryoverseas," he wrote Saturday.

Bek-Nielsen relinquished his chairmanship in 1982 after Malaysiarestricted foreign company ownership under a policy of positivediscrimination for ethnic Malays, although he continued to hold seniorpositions and a stake in the company.

"He loved the country, he loved the people and he felt he could make adifference here," said his son Martin Bek-Nielsen, 30.

"He always talked about the times when he came out during the communistemergency. Many times he did think about going back, but his compassionfor the people and the work were the main things that kept him here and henever regretted that," he told AFP.

Fondly known as "Bapa UP" (UP's Father), Bek-Nielsen set up a pensionfund, a retirement home, a bakery, two hospitals and homes for his estateworkers, reports said Saturday.

United Plantations won an award for best-run plantation in Malaysia in2002 and has interests in Mexico and Norway. Forbes magazine in 1999 namedUP one of the 200 Best Small Companies.

The body of Bek-Nielsen, who died Friday of a stroke, is to be flown backto Denmark on Sunday and buried at his hometown of Holstebro next to hiswife Gladys, who died of cancer in 1996.