A Royal Malaysian Air Force F/A-18D Hornet is seen during sunrise on the tarmac of Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre during Lima’19 in Langkawi March 27, 2019. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin
Dassault Aviation senior executive vice president, international, Benoit Dussaugey said the issues surrounding the palm oil ban were political and should not interfere with other business dealings. “We have been in Malaysia for 10 years now. We decided to come because we understand there is a need from the Malaysian air force to own a fighter jet. We have placed our proposals previously and we will continue to follow these prospects,” he told Bernama when met on the sidelines of the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace 2019 here.
The UK’s position on palm oil, he said, had always been consistent over the years, especially in promoting sustainable palm oil production. Meanwhile, head of communications of Saab AB Asia Pacific, Robert Hewson, said the purchase of aircraft was a sovereign decision of Malaysia and he believed that the government would act in the best interest of the country.