PARLIAMENT | A Perikatan Nasional leader has reminded Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu that paddy farmers have taken to the streets for a long time, showing the government has failed to resolve their problems.
Idris Ahmad (PN-Bagan Serai) said these protests are nothing new and have recurred almost every Dewan Rakyat sitting.
He added that the farmers’ protests were also inspired by Mohamad himself, whom he described as a reference figure in the culture of demonstrations.
“Every time there is a sitting, there will be a protest. Those protests, they learned from (Kota Raja MP) Mohamad. Kota Raja is the teacher of everything.
“Wherever I go, I regard him (Mohamad) as my political teacher. A teacher in politics, a teacher in demonstrations, and so on,” Idris (above) said while debating the royal address in the Dewan Rakyat today.
The same issue was also raised by Abdul Ghani Ahmad (PN-Jerlun).
He said every time the Dewan Rakyat sits, paddy farmers will gather at the entrance of Parliament to demand the same matters.
He said the demonstrations were organised by various organisations to submit memorandums to MPs, but the farmers’ demands have yet to be fully addressed by the government.
“Every time Parliament is in session, farmers through NGOs will always gather at the Parliament entrance to submit memorandums so that their rights are fulfilled,” Ghani said.
He said paddy issues are close to his heart, as he is the son of a farmer and has experienced the hardships of working in paddy fields, and he frequently receives complaints from residents in his constituency in Kedah about problems faced by farmers.
According to him, 44,139 farmers under the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (Mada) are directly involved in the country’s paddy industry, but he claimed they have yet to receive the protection they deserve from the government.
Ghani referred to a memorandum submitted by the Paddy Farmers Brotherhood Organisation (Pesawah) to PN MPs on Jan 20.
He cited their demands, including for the maximum paddy moisture deduction rate be maintained at 20 percent, the paddy floor price be raised to RM1,800 per metric tonne, and the paddy subsidy be increased to RM800 per metric tonne to offset costs.
He also urged the government to reduce farmers’ costs, including machinery, seeds, and pesticides, and to allow farmers to store, share, and sell paddy seeds to reduce dependence on suppliers.
Claims of ineffective govt control
Meanwhile, Ahmad Tarmizi Sulaiman (PN-Sik) said farmers’ issues are no longer merely about yields, but about fairness across the entire national food production chain.
He said the recent presence of farmers and agricultural workers at Parliament to submit a memorandum should be taken seriously by the government, especially regarding the issue of paddy grading deductions, which he claimed are too high, non-transparent, and occur without effective control.
“This issue of paddy deductions creates huge pressure on farmers because excessive cuts are being made without government involvement in controlling or monitoring the matter,” he said.
Tarmizi also urged the ministry to put an end to monopolies by certain parties profiting from farmers’ labour, and to stop excessive and unfair paddy deductions.
“The agriculture minister is with us this afternoon. I am confident he is listening seriously to look into this and ensure there is an end to monopolies by parties profiting from our farmers’ sweat, so there will no longer be excessive deductions, with no government involvement in addressing this matter more seriously,” he stressed.
On Jan 20, about 200 paddy farmers, smallholders, environmental activists, and NGO representatives gathered in front of the Parliament building to urge the government to cancel Malaysia’s participation in the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (Upov) 1991 convention.
The rally aimed to submit two memorandums demanding the protection of small farmers’ rights, which they claimed would be threatened if amendments to the Protection of New Plant Varieties Act 2004 proceeded.
A spokesperson for the rally, Abdul Rashid Yob, alleged that the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry had submitted the draft amendments to the Upov Secretariat in Geneva last September.
Speaking to Malaysiakini a day after the rally, Mohamad said the draft changes they submitted were only for “technical reference”.
“(The process) is not binding, it does not mean policy approval, and is not a form of relinquishing power to any foreign entity,” said the minister. - Mkini
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