Palm oil has long been at the centre of global debates on sustainability, with international narratives often portraying it as environmentally harmful and ethically problematic. Yet, within producing countries such as Malaysia, palm oil is deeply embedded in the economy and consumer practices, suggesting that local perceptions may diverge from foreign critiques. This study investigates Malaysian consumers’ purchase intention of palm oil products by examining the roles of awareness, knowledge, media influence, perception and attitude, while also exploring differences across demographic factors. Data were collected through a structured survey and analysed using nonparametric techniques, including Spearman’s correlation, Mann–Whitney U test and Kruskal–Wallis H test, given the non-normal distribution of the dataset. The results show that purchase intention is significantly and positively correlated with awareness, knowledge and especially attitude, while perception of palm oil is neutral to slightly negative, indicating that international criticisms are less salient locally. Non-parametric tests further reveal significant differences in purchase intention across household income and education levels, but not gender. Specifically, higher-income and postgraduate consumers exhibit stronger purchase intention. These findings underscore the importance of consumer attitude as the strongest driver of purchase behaviour, while highlighting the influence of socio-demographic factors in shaping preferences. The study contributes to the literature by applying the Theory of Planned Behaviour and Consumer Socialisation Theory, offering theoretical and practical insights. For policymakers and industry stakeholders, the results provide evidence to design more targeted communication and intervention strategies that reinforce positive attitudes and address consumer concerns.