▁oil ▁producing ▁country ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁Up ▁until ▁today , ▁pal m ▁oil ▁is ▁still ▁one ▁of ▁Malays ia ' s ▁top ▁money ▁ear ner ▁and ▁job ▁cre ator . ▁He ▁will ▁be ▁best ▁remembered ▁for ▁bra v ely ▁deb ating ▁with ▁major ▁so ya ▁bean ▁produ cers ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁at ▁a ▁time ▁when ▁the ▁US ▁b anned ▁the ▁import ▁of ▁Malays ia ' s ▁pal m ▁oil ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁strong ▁lo bb ying ▁from ▁the ▁so ya ▁bean ▁industry . ▁ ▁He ▁also ▁brought ▁significant ▁development ▁to ▁the ▁tim ber ▁industry ▁as ▁he ▁worked ▁hard ▁and ▁formed ▁the ▁Malays ian ▁Tim ber ▁Council . ▁He ▁also ▁played ▁a ▁p iv otal ▁role ▁in ▁persu ading ▁Europe ▁to ▁import ▁Malays ia ' s ▁tim ber . ▁He ▁took ▁the ▁primary ▁indust ries ▁to ▁new ▁height s ▁not ably ▁with ▁the ▁successful ▁transformation ▁of ▁comm od ities ▁exports ▁to ▁value - added ▁products ; ▁rub ber ▁to ▁rub ber ▁products , ▁especially ▁rub ber ▁di pped ▁to ▁furn iture ▁and ▁c ocoa ▁to ▁ch oc ol ates . ▁He ▁made ▁un par alle led ▁contributions ▁in ▁opening ▁up ▁the ▁global ▁market ▁for ▁Malays ian ▁products ▁like ▁pal m ▁oil ▁and ▁tim ber . ▁It ▁was ▁during ▁his ▁leadership ▁that ▁these ▁comm od ity ▁se ctors ▁were ▁transformed ▁and ▁developed ▁to ▁be ▁compet itive ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁sust ain able . ▁ ▁Tun ▁Dr . ▁Lim ▁K eng ▁Ya ik ▁switched ▁his ▁port folio ▁to ▁the ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Energy , ▁Water