Malaysia plans to get international certification for palm oil by 2010 to deal with the negative perception that its production harms the environment and kills wildlife, local media reported Monday.

With the certification, palm oil will be the first among the world's 17 vegetable oils to get recognition as an environmentally- friendly product, the New Strait Times reported.

Palm oil and other edible oils, such as soya bean and rape seed, have not been given any international certification, Malaysian Palm Oil Board chairman Datuk Sabri Ahmad said.

The initiative is necessary to quash allegations by some global buyers and international non-governmental organizations, the New Strait Times said.

For the past few years, the West has made claims that forests in Malaysia and Indonesia were cleared to make way for palm oil, killing orangutan in the process.

"We want to start the certification process in three years ... Malaysia is the world's top producer of the commodity and we are taking leadership on the issue," Sabri said.

The campaign would be spearheaded by the Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry, Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Malaysian Palm Oil Association and Roundtable on sustainable Palm Oil, which is a producer consumer group, said Sabri.

"Malaysian planters are ready because we have been certifying each other on aspects such as good agriculture practices, pollution,palm oil infrastructure, workers' facilities and food safety," Sabri said.

Source: Xinhua