Amid West Asia conflict, Mat Sabu tells ministry staffers to grow veggies at home

 

Agriculture and Food Security Ministry staffers will be expected to grow vegetables in their homes as part of Putrajaya’s move to fortify the nation’s food supply amid concerns over the potential impacts of the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

Minister Mohamad Sabu today said the instruction will be conveyed to ministry officers who live on landed property, with the Amanah president stressing that the move is a precautionary measure as the nation’s food supply remains stable.

“As an initial step, the ministry will instruct officers with landed homes - not flats - to immediately start planting quick-yield plants such as chillies, eggplants, and chives.

“We do not know when the crisis will end. Two weeks have already passed, but there are still no signs of it subsiding.

“We hope it will be resolved quickly and that nothing undesirable will happen,” Mohamad (above) told a press conference after a special cabinet meeting on escalating tensions in West Asia.

The minister also compared the move to the Green Book initiative launched by former prime minister Abdul Razak Hussein in 1974, and revived by Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in 2006.

Abdul Razak Hussein

Initially part of the government’s efforts to make the agricultural sector a new source of national income, the campaign later shifted its focus to encouraging the public to engage in cultivation to reduce the burden of rising living costs.

Food supply still stable

Mohamad today reiterated that the current global conflict has not affected Malaysia’s food security, as a majority of imported food is sourced from countries such as India, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, and Argentina.

The minister said that “not much” of Malaysia’s imported food travels through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran closed after the United States and Israel launched a joint attack on the West Asian country on Feb 28.

He also confirmed that essential items, including rice, meat, chicken, vegetables, and milk, are sufficient, with supplies expected to last at least until June.

While noting that there could be issues if tensions are prolonged, Mohamad said the people “should not worry” about celebrating the upcoming Hari Raya Aidilfitri festivities, which he stressed should be done in a calm and financially prudent manner. - Mkini