PUTRAJAYA:
The Malaysia Food Sovereignty Forum (MFSF) today handed a memorandum to
agriculture and food security minister Mohamad Sabu expressing concern over
Malaysia’s participation and ratification of the Comprehensive and Progressive
Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
MFSF
head coordinator Nurfitri Amir Muhammad said there had been many memoranda and
media statements made by farmers, livestock breeders and fishermen, and other
NGOs in the past requesting the government not to ratify the free trade
agreement in haste.
They
claim Malaysia’s participation in CPTPP will have a huge negative impact on
farmers, livestock breeders and fishermen as well as on food security and the
sovereignty of Malaysians in the future.
MFSF,
which advocates for agricultural policies and practices that guarantee food
supply and the country’s sovereignty, claimed no impact assessment of the
CPTPP on the nation’s food security has been conducted.
“The
forum wishes to seek clarification on whether the agriculture ministry has
carried out a detailed assessment regarding the CPTPP as the cost and benefit
analysis issued by ministry of international trade and industry (MITI) does not
directly examine the impact of CPTPP.
“But
our voice is often portrayed by capitalists and open market advocates as
baseless and unfounded. This memorandum will answer and unpack the malicious
accusations with facts and references on the adverse effects CPTPP has on the
country’s agriculture sector,” Nurfitri said.
He
added this matter must be shared with the rakyat, and the concerns be brought
to the Cabinet so that the CPTPP agreement can be reviewed for the benefit of
farmers, fishermen, and livestock breeders as well as the nation’s food
security.
Mohamad
Sabu, or commonly known as Mat Sabu, told reporters he will listen to the
forum’s explanation.
Asked
why MFSF was approaching the agriculture ministry rather than MITI under Tengku
Zafrul Aziz, he said: “It’s their right.”
The memorandum is endorsed by 54 organisations representing farmers, livestock breeders and fisherfolk, consumers associations, environmental, entrepreneurial, economic, social, human rights, health, religious, cultural and political organisations.
Artikel
oleh: Free Malaysia Today
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