HPPNK golden jubilee celebration to take place in Kota Kinabalu from Aug 1 to 3
Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said this year's edition was special as it commemorated the 50th anniversary of HPPNK, which was first introduced in 1975.
He said the celebration, which carried the theme 'Kudrat Kami Menjamin Pertiwi', would highlight the spirit and commitment of the agriculture, livestock and fisheries sectors in ensuring food security for the well-being of the people.
'HPPNK is a prestigious event that will bring together farmers, livestock breeders and fishermen from across the country to celebrate their contributions in ensuring food sufficiency and security, as well as in driving the development of the country's agro-food sector,' he said at the pre-launch ceremony of the celebration here today.
Mohamad said the HPPNK 2025 celebration would be officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and was expected to attract over 500,000 visitors, with a projected sales value of up to RM100 million.
Elaborating, Mohamad said 18 interesting segments would be featured under four main focus areas, namely Agro Millenia, Sufficient and Guaranteed, Sejahtera MADANI, as well as Sales and Entrepreneurship.
He said one of the main attractions would be the Agro MADANI Mega Sales, featuring the Malaysia MADANI Food concept, which would offer over 300 food selections, including popular Sabah dishes, along with daily necessities sold at prices 10 to 30 per cent lower than market prices.
'Various exhibitions and activities on technology and innovation will be held, including the Technology and Sustainability Exhibition and the crop and padi segment, as well as the Livestock and Aquaculture Exhibition.
'HPPNK not only celebrates the contributions of those in the sector but also provides opportunities for strategic networking, knowledge sharing and business ventures,' he said.
Mohamad said food security would remain the main focus of the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry in efforts to reduce reliance on imports and boost local production.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Long-term effects of stimulus unclear
PETALING JAYA: The goodies announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, including the RM100 cash transfers to Malaysians above 18 years of age and the lowering of RON95 petrol price, will spur economic activity although the long-term effects remain uncertain, say economists. They opined that the measures, while likely to be offset by tax reforms, subsidy rationalisation and revenue enhancement measures, might pose certain risks to the government's fiscal position. Economist Doris Liew, who specialises in South-East Asian development, said the removal of fuel subsidies, long seen as necessary for structural reform, has faced significant political resistance. 'The lowering of RON95 prices is less about sustainable economic management and more about short-term populism. 'For Anwar, who has pledged a path of fiscal consolidation with the ambitious goal of reducing the fiscal deficit to below 3% of gross domestic product (GDP), this move appears inconsistent and politically expedient,' she opined. She cautioned that the implications of the decision were many while the tangible benefits were limited. 'First, the actual reduction in the cost of living for households will likely be marginal, particularly when weighed against the long-term fiscal cost. 'Second, it undermines Malaysia's broader ambition to transition towards electric vehicles. 'Artificially suppressing petrol prices will only deepen the public's dependence on fossil fuel vehicles and weakens incentives for cleaner alternatives,' she told StarBiz. Thirdly, the move risked a steep increase in subsidy-related expenditure over time, according to Liew observed that in 2022, fuel subsidies amounted to RM52bil, equivalent to 74% of all government subsidies. Although global oil prices have declined recently, she said projections indicated a potential rebound by 2026, which could place renewed and unsustainable pressure on public finances. Nevertheless, she said to the government's credit, several revenue-enhancing initiatives have been introduced this year, including the expansion of the sales and service tax (SST), the implementation of the global minimum tax starting January and the increase in the minimum wage, which could help increase income tax collections. However, the continued reliance on broad-based subsidies remains a cause for concern, she said, as fuel subsidies in particular, are a fiscal black hole. 'Once reinstated or increased, they become politically difficult to scale back, even when economically unsound,' she said. Commenting on the RM100 cash transfers, Liew said they might offer modest relief for low-income households, but would do little to fundamentally improve welfare or address structural inequalities. Of interest, economist Geoffrey Williams opined that the cash handout was a good initiative, viewing it as a pilot for reform of the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah/Sumbangan Asas Rahmah programme to create a possible universal basic income (UBI), which would be a first in the world and set Malaysia as a leader in welfare reform. 'It has all of the features of a UBI because it is a cash transfer to individuals, not households, without any conditions and available universally to all Malaysians without the need to apply. 'For the moment, it is a one-off payment but it will provide useful lessons to become a regular monthly payment so that Malaysia would be the first country to have a full UBI which would be part of Anwar's legacy,' he said. Noting that the cash handout is affordable under the subsidy rationalisation savings, he said it would add consumption to the economy in the second half of the year to support economic growth especially for the low-income group as the money would be spent in local shops and communities. While noting that the cash transfer could cost the government RM2bil, Williams reckoned that the initiative would have an impact of RM6bil due to its multiplier effect. According to him, the cash transfer will not impact the government's fiscal position because it is essentially a transfer of money from one use to another. He added: 'If it supports growth, then the GDP will be higher than 4% and this helps the push towards debt and deficit ratio push targets. The funds come from subsidy rationalisation savings so development expenditure is not affected.' On the other hand, he said the small reduction from RM2.05 to below RM1.99 per litre of the RON95 fuel would be 'only marginally' helpful for boosting the economy and the subsidy rationalisation is not primarily intended to cut daily lifestyle expenses, but to reduce wasteful subsidy costs. 'The cut is very small, and so it will have a negligible impact on fuel use,' he said. Meanwhile, Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid likend the measures to a mini fiscal stimulus as the country is facing heightened economic uncertainties brought on by US tariffs and ongoing geopolitical risks. 'We have seen Bank Negara cutting the overnight policy rate by 25 basis points this month. So, it clearly shows that Keynesian economics prescriptions are at work now,' he said. Keynesian economic policies, first developed by British economist John Maynard Keynes in 1936, advocate for government intervention to stabilise or mobilise the economy when it is facing risks of a downturn. Mohd Afzanizam highlighted the fiscal consolidation exercises that had been ongoing since last year, including the SST increase by two percentage points and the diesel subsidies that had been rationalised, allowed a fiscal space to be established. 'The government is using this space to spend in order to grow the aggregate demand,' he added.
New Straits Times
6 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Chinese chambers of commerce welcomes govt's measures to ease cost of living
KUALA LUMPUR: The Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) has welcomed the government's newly announced measures aimed at easing the cost of living and boosting consumer spending. "These measures would help to ease the cost of living and spur household consumption expenditure," ACCCIM said in a statement. Earlier today, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim made a highly anticipated announcement, which he described as an 'extraordinary tribute' to Malaysians. The measures include a one-off RM100 cash aid for all Malaysians aged 18 and above, the freezing of toll hikes on 10 highways, and continued Rahmah Madani sales. The government also announced that the RON95 petrol price will be reduced to RM1.99 per litre when targeted subsidies begin this September. In addition, Sept 15 has been declared a public holiday for Malaysia Day celebrations. The association said that the fuel price drop would benefit around 18 million car and motorcycle users, pending further details on the eligibility criteria. ACCCIM expressed hope that the targeted subsidy mechanism would be easy to implement to ensure a smooth rollout. Looking ahead, ACCCIM said it was looking forward to the tabling of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) on July 31 and the 2026 Budget on Oct 10, with a focus on sustaining economic resilience and development continuity. The chamber urged the government to avoid new tax measures or policies that could further burden businesses, which are already grappling with rising costs.
Barnama
6 hours ago
- Barnama
PM's Announcement Shows MADANI Gov't Committed To Easing People's Burden
GENERAL KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 (Bernama) -- Leaders of state governments have described Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's announcement of several initiatives today as proof of the continued concern and commitment of the MADANI Government in assisting to ease the people's burden. In NEGERI SEMBILAN, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun said the initiatives announced, including the one-time provision of RM100 under the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) programme and petrol price reduction, are a good start and can ease the people's burden. "Such announcements give meaning to the people... for those in need, it is a very meaningful gift and can help them in their daily lives,' he told reporters after chairing the state executive council meeting in Seremban today. Aminuddin, who is also the Port Dickson Member of Parliament, said the state government welcomed the good news and is confident it can encourage the people to continue to be positive in facing daily life challenges. He added that the government's decision to multiply the MADANI Rahmah Sales and double the allocation for the programme to RM600 million was also the best initiative that will significantly benefit the people. In MELAKA, the state government will plan tourism activities for visitors in conjunction with the additional public holiday on Sept 15 to further invigorate the tourism sector in the state as part of its new industry, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusof. "I will make this tourism sector a new industry in Melaka… it will have all kinds (of tourism activities in Melaka), covering air, land and sea,' he told reporters outside the State Legislative Assembly sitting today. In SELANGOR, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari described the announcement of the one-off RM100 aid through MyKad under SARA as proof of the MADANI Government's care and concern towards the people's plight. He said that with 22 million Malaysians set to benefit from the total allocation of RM2 billion via SARA, it will help propel the economic cycle forward through the expected spending or purchase transactions.
