Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu has stated his commitment to bring issues pertaining to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which has an impact on the country’s agricultural sector, to the cabinet meeting.
Malaysia Food Sovereignty Forum head coordinator Nurfitri Amir Muhammad said Mohamad (above) gave his assurance to bring six demands from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) on the effects of CPTPP to be discussed at the cabinet meeting.
“The minister’s commitment is that he will contact Miti (International Trade and Industry Ministry).
“But this is the decision of the prime minister and the cabinet, not Miti’s.
“So the prime minister needs to respond to this issue. He (Mohamad) will take it to the cabinet,” Nurfitri told a presser after meeting Mohamad at the ministry today.
Earlier, Nurfitri, along with representatives from 54 NGOs, handed a memorandum detailing the demands and had a one-hour meeting with the Kota Raja MP at the ministry.
The meeting, he said, was to acquire an explanation from the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry regarding the impact of CPTPP on farmers, livestock breeders and fisherfolk in the country as well as the nation’s food security.
He said the memorandum, which contained six demands for the government to review the ratification of the CPTPP, was also discussed at the meeting.
Among the effects of the CPTPP on the farming community that is listed in the memorandum include preventing farmers from innovating and denying the interest and contributions of farmers to share and sell seeds, deterring fishermen from catching certain types of fish, tripling agricultural pesticides and veterinary medicine costs as well as the constraining of import permits that aims to protect local farmers and market from import dumping.
“Those who speak about import and export have no right to deny the traditional rights of these farmers to freely share and sell seeds.
“This is because countries that ratify the CPTPP must join the UPOV Convention 1991, a convention that gives monopoly rights to plant breeders for the purported purpose of encouraging investment and innovation.
“It means farmers cannot keep or share seeds,” Nurfitri said.
Meanwhile, Mohamad’s office clarified that he will not be tabling the issue at the cabinet meeting.
Instead, a spokesperson from MAFS told Malaysiakini that the issue will be discussed with Miti on an official level.
“The minister (Mohamad) will not be tabling this issue at the cabinet.
“Our MAFS officers will discuss this issue with Miti officers,” the spokesperson said when contacted. - Mkini
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