Indonesian President Urges Collaboration With Malaysia To Counter Palm Oil Discrimination

Indonesian President Joko Widodo, also known as Jokowi, has called for enhanced collaboration between Indonesia and Malaysia to combat what he refers to as "discrimination" against their countries' palm oil products.

The call on Thursday comes as a new law passed by the European Union (EU) threatens to impact exports of the commodity, which is crucial to both nations' economies.

Earlier this year, the EU implemented a law that prohibits imports of commodities linked to deforestation, a move that is expected to have adverse effects on the palm oil industry.

Indonesia and Malaysia are the world's leading producers and exporters of palm oil, a versatile commodity used in various products ranging from lipstick to pizza.

During a press conference held in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday following a meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, President Jokowi emphasized the need for stronger collaboration, stating, "We need to strengthen this collaboration.”

The statement added; “We don't want commodities produced by Malaysia and Indonesia to be discriminated against in other countries."

In a joint statement, the two leaders pledged to work closely together to address the EU's "highly detrimental discriminatory measures against palm oil."

They called on the EU to swiftly pursue a fair and equitable resolution to the issue.