Malaysia's "palm oil king", Danish entrepreneur Borge Bek-Nielsen, has died at the age of 79 after spending a lifetime nurturing one of Malaysia's key industries, relatives said today.

Bek-Nielsen built United Plantations (UP) into one of the country's most successful palm oil enterprises after arriving in Malaysia in 1951 amid the tumult of the communist insurgency.

Working initially as an engineer, he rose through the ranks of the Danish-founded firm to become chairperson in 1978.

He became a well-known advocate for Malaysia's palm oil interests domestically and internationally, famously fighting a negative 1980s campaign against palm oil which was run by the American Soybean Association.

Bek-Nielsen was awarded Malaysia's highest civil title of "Tan Sri" in 1996 in recognition of his contributions to the industry.

Star daily columnist Wong Sulong said the entrepreneur earned the title of "Malaysia's palm oil king" even though he only controlled a mid-sized plantation empire.

"The palm oil king title is a tribute to a man who spent more than half a century in the industry, whose knowledge about the commodity is unrivalled and also to his passion in promoting and defending the palm oil industry overseas," he wrote today.

Make a difference

Bek-Nielsen relinquished his chairmanship in 1982 after Malaysia restricted foreign company ownership under a policy of positive discrimination for ethnic Malays, although he continued to hold senior positions and a stake in the company.

"He loved the country, he loved the people and he felt he could make a difference here," said his son Martin Bek-Nielsen, 30.

"He always talked about the times when he came out during the communist emergency. Many times he did think about going back, but his compassion for the people and the work were the main things that kept him here and he never regretted that," he told AFP .

Fondly known as "Bapa UP" (UP's Father), Bek-Nielsen set up a pension fund, a retirement home, a bakery, two hospitals and homes for his estate workers, reports said today.

United Plantations won an award for best-run plantation in Malaysia in 2002 and has interests in Mexico and Norway. Forbes magazine in 1999 named UP one of the 200 Best Small Companies.

The body of Bek-Nielsen, who died yesterday of a stroke, is to be flown back to Denmark tomorrow and buried at his hometown of Holstebro next to his wife Gladys, who died of cancer in 1996.