PETALING JAYA: The Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong officially flagged off the 4x4 Expedition using B10 biodiesel (a blend of 10% Palm Methyl Ester and 90% fossil diesel) at the Leaning Tower, Teluk Intan, Perak.
The 4x4 expedition involving a duration of 3 days will cover a total 1,220 kilometers, starting from Teluk Intan to Sungai Koyan, Pahang and then proceed to Gunong Stong and onwards to Pos Tohoi, Gua Musang, Jeli, Kuala Kangsar and back to Kuala Lumpur.
Throughout the expedition, all the vehicles will be using the B10 biodiesel fuel.
The B10 Biodiesel fuel is not yet officially available at the petrol stations and the expedition will serve as a further testing platform to prove that B10 biodiesel is not only cleaner, but more beneficial and not detrimental in the long run as it has been wrongly perceived.
Earlier in his opening speech, Mah reiterated that B10 Biodiesel has undergone a series of tests, with ongoing improvement efforts. It has been validated by comprehensive benchmarking and long-term field testing both domestically and abroad; adheres to international biodiesel blend standards; and is backed by experiences, evaluations and millions of problem-free genuine on-the- road kilometers recorded by various make and model of vehicles that are currently in operation in countries with the B10 or higher biodiesel mandates.
The expedition sees 12 models of diesel vehicles taking part such as those from the Land Rover Club; Ford Ranger Club; Hilux Club; 4x4 ACKL; Buaya Puchong Group; Jungle Princess Female Off-Roaders Community; Tropical Rainforest Conservation and Research Centre; Mitsubishi Triton Club; Off-Road Princess; and Jalan Kebun 4x4 Community.
The drive is jointly organized by the Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities (MPIC) and Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) in collaboration with the Malaysian Recreational Off-Roaders Society (MyRoff).
Apart from that, the Ministry has also made use of this opportunity to deliver monetary and relief package in form of foods to some of the oil palm smallholders affected by the monsoon season along the expedition route.
