RM80bil import bill signals deep food system flaws

New Straits Times

13-07-2025

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's recurring food shortages and its soaring RM80 billion import bill point to deeper structural flaws in the country's food ecosystem, according to an academic at Universiti Malaya.
Prof Datuk Dr Ahmad Ibrahim, an associate fellow at the Ungku Aziz Centre for Development Studies, said these issues could be addressed through a collaborative innovation framework known as the quadruple helix (QH) model.
The QH model, which brings together government, industry, academia and civil society, is being touted as a potential game-changer in building long-term food resilience and reducing Malaysia's dependence on external food sources.
"Malaysia's food security woes, from chicken to egg shortages, are no longer isolated supply hiccups. They reflect systemic weaknesses in our ability to innovate, collaborate, and anticipate," he said in a commentary.
Despite the numerous blueprints launched in recent years, he said progress remains limited, largely due to fragmented and siloed efforts.
He believes that by embedding the QH approach, Malaysia could not only overcome its domestic food security challenges but also export homegrown solutions globally.
Malaysia's food import bill reportedly neared RM80 billion, with recurring supply disruptions triggering price spikes and social unrest.
The recent egg shortage, for instance, became a national flashpoint before the supply stabilised, albeit temporarily.
Ahmad argues that sustained innovation through the QH framework could reduce such vulnerabilities by aligning the strengths of multiple sectors.
Under the model, the government's role is to ensure policy stability, invest in infrastructure such as smart agriculture networks and offer incentives like research and development tax breaks.
Industry players are expected to fund market-driven research and integrate technologies across supply chains, such as blockchain for food traceability.
Academia should focus on both basic and applied research, particularly in areas such as gene editing for drought-resistant crops.
Civil society can play a vital role in articulating grassroots needs, piloting local solutions and promoting inclusive innovation that benefits smallholder farmers.
"Each sector compensates for the weaknesses of the others. If done right, the model transforms fragmented efforts into synergistic systems," Ahmad said.
He also pointed to practical mechanisms that could fast-track collaboration.
This includes regional innovation hubs, living labs in smart villages and artificial intelligence (AI)-powered matchmaking tools to connect startups with mentors and investors.
To address barriers such as misaligned incentives and knowledge silos, he proposed shared key performance indices across sectors, hosting cross-sector secondments and using civil society groups as "trust brokers" to drive adoption among farmers.
"Policies must also be dynamic. We need adaptive governance that evolves with technological shifts, like AI in agriculture and actively engages youth through innovation challenges and social entrepreneurship," he said.
The goal, he added, is not just to become self-sufficient, but to eventually position Malaysia as a global food-tech innovation hub.
"If we get this right, we won't just be solving our own food problems, we'll be exporting solutions," Ahmad said.