KUALA LUMPUR: The Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry aims to implement the usage of B10 biodiesel within this year, said its minister Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong.

He said discussions with various parties were still ongoing and the ministry has received a lot of feedback.

“We have met carmakers, petrol station operators and I think we will have a few more meetings,” he told reporters at the launch of My Hawker app in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.

He said the ministry would study and address the concerns raised at the meetings.

Earlier reports said the implementation of B10 biodiesel (blending of 10% palm methyl ester with 90% petroleum diesel) in Malaysia was delayed due to inadequate data.

He said the implementation of B10 was significant as it would help reduce the palm oil stockpile in the country and increase the crude palm oil price.

The current blending mandate is at 7%. 

On another development, Mah said, the Malaysian Palm Oil Board and its Indonesian counterpart would set up a council of palm oil-producing countries which would start operations in the next two weeks.

He said both countries produced 85 per cent of the world’s palm oil and with the council, a coherent action and promotion strategy could be carried out.

Among the issues that would be discussed are debate over tariffs on palm oil in France, strengthening of exports and health and sustainability issues.

Malaysia and Indonesia will also make joint efforts to counter the anti-palm oil campaigns by certain quarters to paint a bad image of the commodity on international markets.

On the My Hawker app, he said, it was to assist hawkers nationwide by providing free business promotion as well as benefit food hunters as they would be informed on the whereabouts of the hawkers.

The app is available now and can be downloaded from Google Play Store and IOS App Store. - Bernama