Due to ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we will organise the upcoming events via online platforms. Updates are also available on social media and by email to members. Thank you for your patience. (rev 31 March 2021)

Overview

There is so much controversy around palm oil outside Malaysia that we forget to look within and appreciate what we have that we are truly blessed with. Our former Minister of Primary Industries (2018-2020) YB Teresa Kok did exactly that with a soft launch of the Love MY Palm Oil Campaign on 8 January 2019.

This is continued in the Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities (MPIC) with Dato' Dr Mohd. Khairuddin Aman Razali as the Minister of MPIC (2020-present). On 22 July 2020, he stated that Love MY Palm Oil campaign was rebranded to 'Sawit Anugerah Tuhan' or Palm Oil is God's Gift campaign.

Many Malaysians already use palm oil for cooking because it is the cheapest cooking oil in the market. Some believe what is imported and more expensive is better, and believe foreign media streamed on smart phones. What they do not realise is how healthy it is as well as value for money.

The crude oil glut of 2015 saw many people including chemical engineers in the oil and gas industry losing their jobs. While the oil and gas industry has recovered somewhat, it is not recruiting as many fresh engineering graduates. Chemical engineering undergraduates are no longer eyeing the oil and gas industry as the top employer. Should they consider the palm oil industry, which is the fourth largest export revenue earner after the second which is petroleum products?

• Is the palm oil industry sustainable?
• Do we kill orangutans?
• Is it safe?
• What are the career prospects?
• What is the salary?

These questions will be answered at the POPSIG University Roadshow 2019—2020 where POPSIG members will visit the 24 universities in Malaysia offering chemical engineering degree courses. There will be a two hour highly interactive session with speakers from IChemE, the Malaysia Palm Oil Council (MPOC), the palm oil industry as well as academia.

There will also be a field trip to one of the sectors of the industry viz plantation, oil mill, crusher, refinery or oleochemical plant.

Update

Please view the new schedule and content here: View Schedule for October—December 2020.

Schedule

1. University Tunku Abdul Rahman — 16 August 2019
2. Monash University Malaysia — 30 September 2019
3. University Malaya — 09 October 2019
4. Xiamen University Malaysia — 06 November 2019
5. University Nottingham Malaysia — 04 December 2019
6. UCSI —  13 January 2020
7. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (National University of Malaysia) — 19 February 2020
8. Heriot-Watt University Malaysia — 04 March 2020
9. Swinburne University (Sarawak) & Curtin University Sarawak, Malaysia & Universiti Malaysia Sabah & Universiti Malaysia Sarawak — 21 October 2020
10. Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) & Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) — 19 November 2020
11. SEGi University, Selangor & Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) & Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) — 01 December 2020

View the 2021 events via this link >>

Please save the date to your calendar.

Contact us

If you would like the roadshow to visit your university, ask your lecturer in charge of the chemical engineering student chapter, as soon as possible, to contact Ms Theresa Lok, IChemE Membership Marketing Executive at tlok@icheme.org and Mr Vincent Tiang Soon Thai, Roadshow Director.

If you are a chemical engineer working in the palm oil industry and want to volunteer to be a speaker at roadshow, please contact the Roadshow Director.

Appreciation to MPOC

We are pleased to announce that MPOC has agreed to support the POPSIG University Roadshow. The MPOC is a corporate body with a mission to promote the market expansion of Malaysian palm oil and its products by enhancing the image of palm oil and creating better acceptance through awareness of various technological and economic advantages (techno-economic advantages) and environmental sustainability.

Documents

• Update for Oct-Dec 2020 Events
• Introduction to University Roadshow 2019—2020
• Agenda

Stories

1. (a) 20190816-UTAR; (b) UTAR Carey Island Visit
2. 20190930-Monash University Malaysia
3. 20191009-University of Malaya
4. 20191106-Xiamen University Malaysia
5. 20191204-University of Nottingham Malaysia
6. 20200113-UCSI
7. 20200219-Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
8. 20200304-Heriot-Watt University Malaysia
9. Rise of POPSIG 1st University Webinar Roadshow (2019—2021)