Claims made by Malaysia’s palm oil lobbyists have been laid bare in a report by environmental groups, which revealed the discrepancies between their marketing and promotional assertions and the realities of palm oil and oil palm plantations on the environment and local communities.

The 70-page report entitled ‘Malaysian palm oil - green gold or green wash?’ - released yesterday by Friends of the Earth International (FOEI) and its affiliates in Malaysia and Europe - focused on the practices and adverse impacts of the palm oil industry on Sarawak.