PKR tells gov't:: Focus on food security, not mega projects

The Government instead of planning unnecessary mega projects with no clear benefits to the people should instead invest and make long term plans to ensure the food security of everyone, and certainly not withdraw food subsidies for essential food items like sugar.

In conjunction with World Food Day, Parti Keadilan Rakyat reminds the Government that it should prioritize the food security of all Malaysians and that no one including the poorest communities like farmers, fishermen and the indigenous people should have food insecurity.

The Government instead of planning unnecessary mega projects with no clear benefits to the people should instead invest and make long term plans to ensure the food security of everyone, and certainly not withdraw food subsidies for essential food items like sugar. The Government is not interested in committing into genuine efforts to ensure food security and adequate nutrition to its vulnerable communities but instead seems to be only keen to conduct promotional and superficial programs such as the 1Malaysia Milk Program.

Still a net importer

Malaysia remains a net importer of food such as vegetables, beef, dairy products, maize and sugar. Other main agricultural imports are rice, wheat, oilseeds and cotton. Some constraints to food availability in Malaysia are: limited domestic agricultural production, lack of agricultural assistance, inappropriate technologies and practices, inappropriate economic policies, including pricing, marketing, tax and tariff policies, lack of foreign exchange, inadequate agricultural inputs, non-existent or ineffective private sector, population growth rates that offset increased production or imports, marketing and transportation systems which inhibit the cost-effective movement of food from source to need and the redistribution of land and labour to industrialization.

Keadilan is committed towards guiding Malaysia into becoming a fully self-sufficient food producer and will conduct studies to ensure the following suggested measures are viable in Malaysia:

Increasing budget allocations for vegetable and livestock farming, providing incentives and subsidies for vegetable and livestock farmers, who in turn will be encouraged, via tax reliefs, to offer higher remuneration for locals who work for them. A clear minimum wage policy is necessary to affirm the basic dignities of working men and women.

Re-evaluating land allocation policies comprising a shift from the emphasis on gazetting land for industrial use to vegetable and livestock farming and earmarking industrial land for the food processing industry.

Promoting the availability of diploma level and tertiary education courses on food processing technology, agribusiness, animal husbandry, fish farming and the marketing thereof.

Promulgating anti-monopoly laws and providing incentives, soft-loans and tax-reliefs to encourage entrepreneurs into farming, production and processing of foodstuffs currently being imported [eg: milk, cheese, wheat, sugar etc].

Resist the onslaught of globalisation by raising taxes on imported food, resisting pressure to sign unfair and lop-sided free-trade agreements, while reducing or abolishing taxes on locally produced food.

Increase the number of controlled food items to keep prices low.

Embarking on more intensive publicity campaigns encouraging consumers to purchase locally produced food and influence consumers to rely less on imported food.

Reducing the price of petrol and diesel which will in turn lead to a reduction of food production costs.

(The statement is issued by Latheefa Koya, PKR information chief)