KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 2 — Food security was among the main issues raised by six debaters on the first day of the debate session on the Supply Bill (Budget) 2026 in the Senate today.
Senator Datuk Seri Mujahid Yusof proposed that the government implement high-tech agriculture, like precision and vertical farming, which do not require land, to address the country's dependence on imported food.
“Young people must be exposed to this kind of agriculture. They do not need to deal with dirt or mud, just dress like scientists, stay inside a cabin or a building, while controlling the temperature.
"That is what precision means. It can be controlled exactly, whether hot or cold.
“The same goes for vertical farming, which can save space and use narrow areas for us to explore what is known as high-tech agriculture,” he said.
Commenting on the same matter, Senator Abun Sui Anyit said that in the context of agriculture in Sarawak, the state should be developed as the country’s new rice bowl, as it has vast agricultural land with high potential to boost national food security.
He added that the allocation channelled to Sarawak’s agricultural sector must be utilised optimally to help rural communities, the majority of whom depend on the sector for their income.
Abun said the Sarawak Agriculture Department received a RM28 million allocation for food security programmes, while the Sarawak Irrigation and Drainage Department (JPS) received RM9 million under the same initiative.
“The development of Sarawak’s padi industry, meanwhile, is only allocated RM1.5 million. For me, this is still insufficient when our aspiration is to make Sarawak a rice bowl, as its land area is still wider compared to Kedah, which has long been the country’s rice bowl,” he said.
Also raised during the debate session was a proposal for the government to increase housing and development allocations specifically for the Orang Asli community, including for its entrepreneurs and youth.
Senator Manolan Mohamad said government funds must be allocated more precisely to the development of the Orang Asli community and entrepreneurs, as many Orang Asli youths still do not own homes, despite allocations under Budget 2025.
He also proposed that the Commercial Replanting Scheme (TSK) plantations developed by the Department of Orang Asli Development (Jakoa) in cooperation with agencies like Felcra and Risda be handed over to local residents’ committees.
The Senate session resumes tomorrow.
