KUALA LUMPUR: The Primary Industries Ministry is hoping to work with the Education Ministry to introduce knowledge about palm oil into school textbooks, says Teresa Kok.

The Primary Industries Minister said she had written to Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik requesting to include information about the palm oil industry in school textbooks.

"At the moment, only the Geography subject has something about palm oil but most people don't know about its health benefits.

"But we will have to wait for a curriculum review before deciding what information and knowledge can be included," she said during a Hari Raya open house in her Seputeh constituency Sunday (July 7).

"Rural students' knowledge of palm oil is there but we need to spread this information to urban students.

"We hope that the Education Ministry will help us hold palm oil awareness sessions.

"We can even take students to plantations to better understand the product," she said.

Kok hoped that schools and parents would work together to spread awareness about palm oil.

The minister came under fire recently after she criticised an international school for putting up a play on oil palm plantations.

On Tuesday (July 2), Kok described the performance as "sowing hatred" towards oil palm plantations among pupils.

A one-minute, 10-second video clip of the performance, uploaded on YouTube, showed children dressed in environment-themed costumes giving a presentation on environmental issues surrounding unsustainable oil palm plantations.

Kok said while she respected dissenting views on the palm oil industry – including teachers and students – they must also be open-minded and get a full picture of the situation. -