KOTA KINABALU – Former Sabah chief minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal has issued an urgent call to Malaysian leaders to develop a comprehensive strategy to address critical issues affecting the people, including food security, heavy reliance on imports, climate change, and rising costs.
The Warisan president, who is presently state opposition leader, has proposed fostering regional collaborations with other nations to address concerns of food sufficiency and degenerating climate.
He also urged the federal government to introduce initiatives aimed at alleviating the repercussions of food shortages and soaring prices of essential goods, particularly rice, as consequence of Malaysia's dependence on imports.
He stressed that the escalating prices of goods bears significant impact on the grassroots level of society at present.
"Many people are voicing their concerns about the prices of goods, not just in relation to supply issues but the actual pricing itself," he said.
Shafie called for national leaders to devise an all-encompassing plan to mitigate the country's reliance on imported goods, acknowledging the inherent difficulties in regulating their prices.
"There will be a moment when the source country says they won't be able to export because they also need the supply... It's not easy for the government to regulate the prices of these items as they are not locally produced," he said.
Shafie cited rice as a prime example. The staple is widely consumed by Malaysians but is now undergoing shortage and price imbalance due to the decision of some countries to control its export.
He also urged Malaysia to engage in collaborative efforts with other nations to address the global issue of climate change, which is increasingly impacting food security worldwide.
Strengthened enforcement measures are needed to curb smuggling of controlled goods to other countries to ensure that government-subsidised items genuinely benefit Malaysians.
In pursuit of this goal, Shafie also called on Putrajaya to unveil initiatives aimed at alleviating the challenges faced by all Malaysians in the forthcoming national Budget 2024, set to be tabled in parliament in mid-October.
He was speaking after chairing Warisan’s supreme council meeting at its headquarters here yesterday evening.
On a separate issue, Shafie disclosed that Warisan’s annual general meeting is likely to be held in December.
All party wings and divisions are currently conducting their respective meetings. He also noted that Warisan's membership has exceeded 400,000 members. – The Vibes, September 30, 2023
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