PUTRAJAYA, June 9 — The Executive Committee Meeting on the National Food Security Policy No. 1 of 2026, convened today, highlighted the need to introduce the National Food Security Act to strengthen Malaysia’s readiness in addressing food supply issues.
Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said this was in view of the El Niño phenomenon and climate change, which increase the risk of prolonged drought that may disrupt local food production.
“Given the challenges posed by the crisis, the meeting stressed the urgent need to enact the act as a legal instrument to create an early warning system, an automatic preparedness plan, as well as a mechanism for channelling financial assistance and agricultural inputs directly to the main production sector,” he said in a statement today.
Mohamad said Among the initiatives discussed during the meeting was the potential marketability of cultured meat, cultured meat products and cell-based food as alternative protein sources in Malaysia, covering technical, economic, regulatory and halal certification aspects.
He said interventions were also proposed to strengthen control and monitoring of honey authenticity issues, as well as provide updates on the research and development of alternative protein-based food products.
“The meeting also discussed strategies to strengthen the operations of the nine slipways under the Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia (LKIM) in the shipbuilding and ship repair (SBSR) industry, to address issues of limited capacity, high maintenance costs, manual systems and a shortage of skilled manpower,” said Mohamad.
The meeting, among others, aimed to chart a more inclusive direction for national food security and recommend a focused strategy to address food security issues, thereby ensuring Malaysia remains resilient amid increasingly dynamic global challenges. — Bernama
