In latest CNY video, Teresa Kok takes aim at palm oil myths

Seputeh MP Teresa Kok is known to produce and act in her own videos in conjunction with Chinese New Year celebrations, occasionally even courting controversy as a result.

For this year’s celebration - her first as the primary industries minister - Kok also took the opportunity to tackle purported misconceptions about palm oil.

“Whilst this video captures the spirit of Chinese New Year, the underlying message of this video clip is to clear many misconceptions about palm oil in a creative and fun manner. On top of that, I encourage the public to ask questions in order to get the right answers...

“The primary purpose of my CNY clip is to explain these criticisms in simple layman terms and to advise viewers not to be too quick to rush into judgment or to believe the many false accusations.

“Instead, they ought to seek proper verification of actual facts. This will also, in turn, result in them becoming spokesperson for Malaysian palm oil,” Kok said in a statement on Facebook yesterday.

The five-minute-13-seconds long clip, which was uploaded on YouTube on Monday, showed some actors dish out criticisms about palm oil, while Kok and other actors offer their rebuttals until everyone is convinced of palm oil’s benefits over other vegetable oils.

The video ends with Kok making a call for viewers to understand more about palm oil and to help promote Malaysian palm oil abroad.

The video also appears to take a swipe at common criticisms towards Kok’s ‘hard-selling’ of palm oil.

In one scene, after Kok makes her appearance in the video, one actor remarked that she “can’t stand” Kok talking endlessly about palm oil.

Another remarked, “If she wants to be a salesperson, she should go overseas and find foreign buyers.”

Yet another said, “Even if we use palm oil to shower every day, would the economy get better?”

For the record, Kok had previously defended her hard-selling of palm oil, saying that the ridicule poured on her also helps draw attention to palm oil.

She has been lobbying to stave off the European Union’s plan to phase out palm oil-derived biodiesel over environmental concerns, while drumming up more palm oil exports.