Empowering Food Security!

 

A robust food system is critical for safeguarding national food security and public health (nutrition), improving livelihoods (farm income and price affordability), maintaining economic and social stability, and ensuring environmental sustainability. 

High reliance on imports (at least 60%) of its staple food (such as rice, wheat, dairy, and meat), the food price volatility, rising production costs, vulnerability to climate anomalies, the food supply chain disruptions and changing consumer demands and population growth place severe strain on global food systems. 

Source: https://www.wikiimpact.com

Modernising production systems, increasing self-sufficiency targets, and adopting new agritech to secure food supplies are key focus areas. Despite the government’s policy interventions through the National Agrofood Policy 2021-2030 (NAP 2.0) and the National Food Security Policy 2030 to transform the agrifood sector into a modern, high-value, tech-driven industry, the sector’s performance continues to remain suboptimal, resulting in persistent food import dependencies and vulnerabilities in national food security. 

Between 2021 and 2025, the broader agrifood sector, comprising livestock, marine fishing and aquaculture, as well as the “other agriculture” subsector (including paddy, vegetables, fruits, food crops and others), grew by a slower compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.2% per annum, accounting for 3.5% of Malaysia’s gross domestic product (in 2025). Food imports had grown by a CAGR of 10.3% per annum in 2020 to 2025, to reach RM92.8bil in 2025 (an average of RM69.8bil per year in 2019 to 2024), making up 6.4% of total gross imports. The food deficit has widened progressively to incur the largest deficit of RM39.3bil in 2024 compared to a deficit of RM17.4bil in 2019 before registering a lower deficit of RM33.9bil in 2025. 

In 2024, Malaysia’s Self-Sufficiency Ratio has remained critically low for several key food items, including mutton, beef, ginger, mango, mushroom, chilli, and round cabbage. Meanwhile, apple, onion, and garlic continued to be largely imported due to cost constraints and agroecological factors. About 70% of Malaysia’s mutton supply is imported from Australia, while mango, coconut and beef are mainly imported from Thailand, Indonesia and India, respectively. 

Malaysia’s agrifood sector is constrained by both a limited availability of arable land and inefficient or unequal distribution of land among different commodities. While the country is resource-rich, the sector faces a structural imbalance where nearly 87% of agricultural land is used for commodity crops (like palm oil and rubber), leaving food crops lagging. Overall, the agrifood-related crops (excluding paddy and industrial crops such as coconut) constituted less than 5% of total planted areas. While poor soil quality and environmental sensitivities restrict agricultural developments, approximately 16% of Malaysia’s existing gazetted agricultural land is currently sitting idle. The Department of Agriculture reported that in 2019, there were 90,578 ha of abandoned land in Peninsular Malaysia, marking significant underutilisation of agricultural resources and a missed opportunity for food production. 

The establishment of Permanent Food Production Parks (TKPM) serves as a dedicated permanent food production zone. As at early December 2025, a total of 76 TKPM were established, with a total area of 10,568 ha. 

The government-linked companies (GLCs) with underutilised land assets should be encouraged to play a more active role in supporting the national food security objective by leasing suitable land to the agrifood growers and industry players. These public-private partnerships can help unlock idle or underutilised land for productive use. This whole idea of food security is not new. There have been several initiatives to improve food security but constraints of resources and political will usually hamper its implementation. 

Reference:

Empowering food security for tomorrow, Lee Heng Guie, The Star, 30 July 2026

 

 

Free Drama on Netflix?

 

(This article is an adaptation from a LinkedIn post by Sukhdev Singh, former Deputy Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia) 

Malaysians don't need Netflix because our politicians are such accomplished actors. They provide us with a constant stream of real-life drama. Tracking latest plots is a full-time job.  Take, for instance, the medical phenomenon that seems to afflict our political elite. It’s called "Subpoena-Induced Cardiac Arrest Syndrome” (“SICA”). SICA remains perfectly dormant while the patient is allegedly siphoning off public funds and enjoying a luxury lifestyle. It flares up just hours before a judge is due to hear criminal charges. Medical researchers remain fascinated. 

The syndrome has never been known to strike during election campaigns, overseas holidays or lavish dinners. However, sight of a courtroom can apparently trigger a full-scale physiological collapse. Fortunately, recovery is often just as miraculous once proceedings have been adjourned. It is truly a testament to the resilience of our elite that they can endure years of alleged money laundering and asset-declaration scandals without much headache. But the mention of a court date is enough to send them straight to the ICU of a private hospital or IJN.

For many of us, a medical certificate is merely a request for consideration. But for the political elite, it functions more like a "Get Out of Jail Free" card printed on premium hospital letterhead. The script has become so predictable that whenever a prominent politician is due in court, social media no longer speculates about the verdict. Instead, people wonder which private hospital the accused will check into. Humour has become our national coping mechanism. The alternative is despair. 

We are told that justice is blind. In Malaysia, however, it seems to possess remarkably good eyesight. It somehow never mistakes a Tan Sri or Datuk Seri for an ordinary taxpayer. Perhaps it is time to relocate courtrooms into private hospital VIP wards. It would save everyone the ambulance ride, the adjournment applications, and the elaborate choreography. We could become the first country where the Intensive Care Unit and the High Court share the same corridor.

 

 

Reference:

Malaysian Politicians Provide Free Drama on Netflix, Sukudhew (Sukhdave) Singh,

This title was summarized by AI from the post.

Pembinaan PFI: Financial “Engineering” or Financial Disaster?

 

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is currently investigating Pembinaan PFI Sdn Bhd (“PFI”). The MACC investigation raises the spectre of another possible scandal blowing up in the aftermath of Barisan Nasional’s fall from power. At RM50.2 billion, PFI’s borrowings are on the same scale as 1MDB’s debt. It amounts to a quarter of the federal government’s committed government guarantees, which came to RM199.1 billion as announced on May 24. And further investigation may shed more light on what a strange and convoluted scheme is already to dip into local pension funds. 

The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) confirmed it lent RM21.16 billion to PFI and that all repayments are currently in order. While EPF’s lending to PFI is not a secret, its statement was understood to be a response to a renewed wave of viral WhatsApp messages alleging impropriety in its involvement with PFI. 

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org

The latest available data shows that PFI has an unsatisfied RM19.48 billion charge on its assets in favour of EPF, created on Aug 22, 2014. Another known lender to PFI is Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP), although the latest quantum was unclear at the time of writing. PFI is wholly owned by the Minister of Finance (MOF) Inc, the finance ministry’s corporate vehicle. 

It was essentially set up to borrow money on behalf of the federal government— that is, without adding to the government’s official debt figures. This is done by disguising loan repayments for the debt as “rental payments” from the Treasury to PFI, which was done via a leaseback arrangement involving government land. This way, the repayments are classified as operating expenditure in the government’s accounts, rather than debt servicing. 

On Aug 22, 2007, PFI inked a term loan facility from EPF for RM20 billion. The facility was for a 60-month period, and the interest rate was the prevailing rate of Malaysian Government Securities (MGS) plus 0.5% per annum, calculated on a six-monthly basis. A day earlier, PFI and the Federal Lands Commissioner (FLC) — which legally owns land on behalf of the federal government — had signed an agreement whereby PFI would lease 186 parcels of government land for a lump sum of RM20 billion. 

To create cash flow so it can repay the EPF term loan, PFI then proceeded to sublease the 186 land parcels back to the federal government for a total of RM29.18 billion, spread over 30 twice-yearly payments between 2013 and 2027. 

The rationale for the PFI arrangement is that it enables the government to raise additional money to fund its development programme. But this is done at the cost of kicking the repayments — with interest — down the road, with the debt pile now snowballing to RM50.2 billion. The scheme’s origins trace back to the time of then prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who had set out to execute infrastructure projects with the private finance initiative (PFI) model under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP). Some RM20 billion was earmarked for PFI projects in 9MP. A private finance initiative (PFI) is basically a concessional procurement method whereby the government outsources the construction of public infrastructure to private contractors. In exchange for a concession to operate and maintain the infrastructure, the PFI concept means the private contractor would have to raise its own funding to complete the project. 

When will these schemes stop? Never, if you have politicians who have the same stripes as Najib. They are still there and surprisingly voters still vote them in! If you want a country to progress and have accountability in the system, then you need to come clean on many others like PFI. It beats me why PMX has not gone after those responsible and strengthen his position for another term? 

Reference:

Cover Story: A ‘secret’ government debt that has ballooned to RM50 billion, Khairie Hisyam Aliman / theedgemarkets.com, 26 Jul 2018

When Poverty Meets Pregnancy…!

 

At around 20 to 30 years, many young adults are just beginning to find their footing in life. Some are fresh graduates embarking on their first careers. Others are saving for a home, pursuing higher education or planning for marriage.  

But a recent viral video on X paints a different reality. In the clip, a young woman is seen sitting along a public walkway with a baby in her arms, selling small items to earn a living. When approached by a concerned passer-by, she is asked about her age. Her answer is just 23. What comes next is even more heartbreaking. She reveals that she already has three children. At an age when many are still trying to establish their own lives, she is already struggling to provide for three young children. Netizens who watched the video were equally touched by it.

 

Source: Wiki Impact

At just 23, this young mother has become the face of a struggle shared by many whose stories never make it onto social media. Her plight should not merely leave viewers feeling sorry for her. Instead, it should remind others that compassion is most meaningful when it is matched by understanding. 

Note also that the measure of a caring society lies not in how loudly it reacts to viral videos, but in how quietly it supports those who are struggling long after the cameras are gone. 

There are many others who suffer from mental issues, homelessness, drug dependence, insufficient income or wealth. We may not be able to solve all their problems. But surely Madani can devise a scheme for NGOs, voluntary organisations, churches and others to help directly in the areas they operate? It requires leadership and coordination. Otherwise, we must take on the responsibility to discern and contribute to the needs of the less fortunate without the government (of compassion)! 

Reference:

When poverty meets pregnancy, expect a tale of hardship and a stark lesson in family planning, CS Ming, Focus Malaysia, 29 July 2026

 

High Income Status: Chasing a Moving Goal?

 

Based on the latest data published by the World Bank using the Atlas method, Malaysia’s 2025 gross national income (GNI) per capita reached US$12,380. Although Malaysia’s GNI per capita improved by 6.5% last year, it fell short of the 2025 high-income nation status threshold of US$14,375 per capita by a wide margin, which is the threshold used by the World Bank based on 2025 GNI per capita for the financial year July 2026 to end June 2027. 

Thus, our per capita GNI in US dollar terms will still need to grow by 16.1% before we can be classified as a high-income nation and join 87 other nations that have already achieved the status based on the latest classification. As the high-income status threshold seems to increase by a few percent every year, our total GNI per capita will need to improve at a faster pace. As the measurement is in US dollar terms, the other variable that will have an impact on our GNI per capita is the exchange rate itself. For example, Malaysia’s GNI per capita in US dollar terms was also helped by the ringgit’s appreciation as our GNI in local currency terms rose by 4.3% year-on-year to RM1.95 trillion.

 

Source: https://www.wikihow.com

Malaysia’s GNI per capita has been rising at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.1% per annum over the past five years. Malaysia is on the right track in moving up the income threshold, thanks to concerted efforts in raising income and salaries of households and employees. In fact, over the past 25 years, Malaysia’s per capita income grew at a strong 5.2% CAGR, surpassing the 3.9% CAGR in the global high-income threshold. This allowed Malaysia to close the gap between our per capita income and the global threshold for a high-income nation. 

Malaysia came close to surpassing the global threshold for high-income status in 2014, falling just short by US$119 of the World Bank’s threshold of US$10,959 in per capita income. 2014 was also a period when the ringgit was stronger, allowing our per capita income in US dollar terms to grow much faster due to currency gains. 

For context and understanding, the GNI measurement adopted by the World Bank’s Atlas method is based on a three-year average exchange rate, adjusted for inflation based on a country’s inflation rate vis-a-vis developed economies. Hence, the calculated 2025 GNI per capita of US$12,380 is based on a three-year average US dollar-ringgit exchange rate of 4.4727 to arrive at RM58,524 per capita, which is higher than the reported GNI in ringgit terms for 2025 at RM57,200. The difference of 2.3% is likely related to the inflation-adjusted Atlas method used by the World Bank. 

Malaysia’s GNI per capita in US dollar terms would be much higher at US$13,665 if the average US dollar-ringgit exchange rate of 4.2829 for 2025 was used. Based on the current exchange rate, the GNI per capita for last year would have been at US$14,307 – just a whisker away from the high-income threshold of US$14,375. 

Malaysia’s journey towards achieving global recognition as a high-income nation has been a long one. We first entered the current income classification of upper middle-income economy in 1994 and have been stuck there for more than three decades. As the per capita income measurement is in US dollars, the average three-year exchange rate between the dollar and ringgit also makes a significant impact on our per capita income. 

Even assuming a modest 3% growth in the high-income per capita threshold and if Malaysia’s GNI per capita in US dollar terms grows by 5% per annum, it will take us another eight years before we are able to surpass the global threshold. Hence, even on an optimistic assumption, Malaysia will remain stuck in the upper middle-income category up to 2032 and only achieve high-income status by 2033. 

Achieving the high-income status can be said to mean that we have finally “arrived” after decades of being stuck in the upper middle-income category. The reality is that Malaysians remain poor as the median salary is at just RM3,027 per month (as of March 2026) or RM36,324 per year, which is RM20,876 or 36.5% below the GNI per capita level. Over 85% of the Malaysian labour force do not earn enough to fall within the income tax paying bracket. 

Malaysia’s gross domestic product (GDP), when measured on an income basis, shows compensation of employees (CE) remains low at just 33.9%, a marginal 0.3 percentage point increase from 33.6% recorded in 2024. (The target is to raise income share to 40% by 2030). For advanced economies, this accounts for 50% to 60% of GDP. 

Although CE grew by 5.8% in 2025, outpacing the GDP growth of 4.8% at current prices, the growth in CE has not been strong enough. At the current pace of increase, Malaysia’s target to hit CE of 40% by 2030 will be hard to achieve if real wage reforms are not carried out.

The other is income inequality. With a Gini coefficient of 0.39 (in 2024) we need to do much better in income redistribution. Most developed economies show disposable Gini scores of between 0.25 and 0.38. The average for the entire world is between 0.61 and 0.68. So, in that sense, we are better off! 

References:

The long climb to high income, Pankaj C. Kumar, The Star, 01 Aug 2026 

For most, EPF savings may no longer by enough, Alysha Edward, FMT, 3 February 2026

Asia’s Economic Power Map

 

Asia’s Economic Power Map is being redrawn. Asia is no longer simply the world’s manufacturing centre. It is becoming the global engine of economic growth, technological innovation, industrial investment and capital formation. China continues to dominate the region by economic size, while India is steadily reducing the gap with exceptional long-term growth potential. Japan remains one of the world’s largest advanced economies, and countries such as South Korea, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates continue to strengthen their strategic importance across technology, commodities, finance and manufacturing. 

For investors, Asia should not be viewed as a single market. Each economy offers a distinct investment profile shaped by demographics, industrial policy, natural resources, innovation, governance, currency dynamics and capital market maturity. The region’s transformation is creating opportunities across multiple sectors, including: 

• Artificial Intelligence & Semiconductors

• Energy & Commodities

• Advanced Manufacturing

• Infrastructure

• Financial Services

• Consumer Markets

• Logistics & Global Trade

 • Renewable Energy 

The key challenge is no longer deciding whether to invest in Asia—it is identifying the countries, industries and companies best positioned to outperform over the coming decade. As global capital increasingly shifts eastward, understanding Asia’s economic landscape will become an essential competitive advantage for investors and business leaders alike.

 

 

Reference:

IMF World Economic Outlook (2026 projections).

 

 

One-Month Deadline: Really?

 

PMX has given the relevant ministries and departments one month to resolve the foreign worker application issue, particularly for the restaurant sector. For years, we've been told that the foreign worker issue is incredibly complex. It involves multiple ministries, Immigration, labour policies, quotas, security concerns, industry needs, and the delicate balancing act of reducing Malaysia's dependence on foreign labour while ensuring businesses have enough workers to survive. And now, apparently, only one month is needed.

 

Source: https://www.wikiimpact.com

This isn't a new problem. Restaurant operators have been raising the alarm since at least 2023. Every few months, another headline appears. Labour shortages. Delayed applications. Businesses struggling to stay open. Associations urging the government to act. Ministers acknowledging the issue. Promises to review the system. Assurances that solutions are being worked on. 

Three years later, the government gives itself one month. 

We all hope that PMX succeeds. If the bureaucratic bottlenecks can finally be cleared, businesses will benefit, workers will benefit, and ultimately consumers will benefit too. Nobody wins when restaurants have to shorten their operating hours or delay expansion because they cannot find enough staff. 

But the announcement does raise an uncomfortable question. If this issue can genuinely be resolved within one month, why wasn't it treated with the same urgency three years ago? After all, the labour shortage didn't suddenly appear this week. Restaurant operators didn't wake up yesterday and decide they needed workers. The government has known about this issue for years because businesses have been reminding them... repeatedly. 

If one-month deadlines are effective, perhaps we've discovered the solution to governing Malaysia.

 

·      Let's give one month to repair every pothole.

·     One month to resolve the stray dog and cat issue.

·     One month to restore every broken public park and playground.

·     One month to unclog drains before the next flash flood.

·     One month to clean and repair our public toilets.

·     One month to improve the cleanliness of our cities.

·    One month to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy that frustrates businesses and ordinary Malaysians alike.

 Why does urgency always seem to arrive when politics enters the calendar?

Governments often tell us that change takes time. That policies must be studied carefully. That different agencies need to coordinate. That procedures exist for good reason. Most Malaysians understand that. Which is exactly why this one-month deadline sounds so extraordinary. It creates the impression that a problem described as highly complex for years can suddenly become an administrative sprint. 

Malaysia doesn't suffer from a shortage of reports, committees or policies. Every year, there are plans, roadmaps, blueprints and frameworks promising improvement. What Malaysians have often complained about isn't the lack of ideas. It's the lack of urgency in turning those ideas into action. Because if one month is all it takes to move the machinery of government, Malaysians may soon stop asking for new policies. We'll simply start asking for more one-month deadlines. 

Reference:

OPINION | PM Anwar's Extraordinary One-Month Deadline, Fa Abdul, Newswav, 29 July 2026