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Staying resilient is probably an understatement for the oil palm industry during the period of 2018. Whilst other sectors such as the electrical and electronics and other manufactured products were experiencing a bullish growth, the export value of palm oil and palm oil-based products was on the decline. This is essentially due to the looming threat of a total ban of palm oil-based biodiesel by the European Union (EU) come 2021 and the higher production from palm oil plantations in Indonesia causing lower demand and oversupply worldwide. In view of the former, Malaysia's export market scene is expected to change in the coming years. Malaysia has since identified several potential new markets in Africa, Central and South Asia. The negative campaigns relating to health, social or environment targeted at the oil palm are not new but the current action led by the west is clearly causing a major dent in the industry. As the most traded commodity, the industry as a whole is constantly subjected to scrutiny with environment being the current key issue warranting the imposition of checks and balances such as the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO), Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) and Rountable Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification. At the same time, every aspect of the research continues to progress further building on prior knowledge arising directly from working on the oil palm or through model systems. Their progress is briefly highlighted in this review. Clearly the main theme of the research from upstream to midstream and finally downstream are basically aligned with and directed towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) by 2030. This would consequently help further improve the perception of oil palm/palm oil in general.