Plantation and Commodities Minister Fadillah Yusof has hit out at the EU Parliament over its vote to approve the negotiated deal on the EU’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

Fadillah, who is also deputy prime minister, said that the regulation is a deliberate effort to increase costs and barriers for Malaysia’s palm oil sector, and would hurt more than 450,000 smallholders.

"This ultimately would increase poverty, reduce household incomes and harm our rural communities – outcomes that stand in stark contrast to the EU’s commitments outlined in the...