Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok said companies like FGV have already used the logo on their products.

“I hope more companies other than producers of cooking oil can use the logo.

“We should be proud of our products. We want our palm oil industry to produce five-star oil, and the products to be five-star products,” she told reporters after a briefing on Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification and a dialogue with oil palm growers and smallholders at a hotel near here today.

Kok also criticised local companies that put a “No Palm Oil” label on their products meant for sale in Europe.

“I urge local companies that make products for export to western countries not to use this ‘No Palm Oil’ label. We should be proud of being the world’s second-largest producer of palm oil,” she said.

She said the government has been working hard to counter the perception among European countries linking palm oil production in Malaysia to environmental destruction and a decline in the orangutan population.

The ministry, she said, also takes a serious view of complaints about foreign products with the “No Palm Oil” label being sold in Malaysia.

On another matter, Kok said that 2.75 million hectares or 4% of the 5.85 million hectares under oil palm cultivation in Malaysia have received MSPO certification.