[ENGLISH VERSION BELOW] Forum Kedaulatan Makanan Malaysia (FKMM), sebuah jaringan yang terdiri daripada 250 individu yang terdiri daripada ahli akademik, golongan profesional, wakil NGO dan wakil kumpulan-kumpulan petani, menyuarakan kebimbangan mendalam terhadap kurangnya proses konsultasi yang sewajarnya berkaitan cadangan pindaan Akta Perlindungan Varieti Baharu Tumbuhan 2004 (Akta PNPV) dan rang undang-undang kualiti benih tanaman.
Walaupun menteri pertanian dan keterjaminan makanan telah menyatakan rang undang-undang ini akan dibentangkan pada tahun hadapan, isu konsultasi yang tidak memadai kekal kritikal untuk kedua-dua inisiatif perundangan ini.
Pada 28 Jun, Menteri Pertanian dan Keterjaminan Makanan Mohamad Sabu memaklumkan bahawa pindaan Akta PNPV akan dilaksanakan bagi tujuan perlindungan varieti tumbuhan yang lebih komprehensif.
Terdapat kemungkinan besar pindaan ini akan dibentangkan di Dewan Rakyat dalam mesyuarat kedua penggal ketiga Parlimen ke-15 yang dijadualkan berlangsung dari 21 Julai hingga 28 Ogos.
Sementara itu, menteri juga dilaporkan menyatakan pada 10 Julai bahawa rang undang-undang kualiti benih tanaman akan dibentangkan di Parlimen pada tahun hadapan.
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Walau bagaimanapun, FKMM amat kecewa kerana sehingga hari ini, teks pindaan Akta PNPV dan rang undang-undang tersebut masih belum dibentangkan kepada jawatankuasa pilihan khas parlimen untuk konsultasi dan kajian yang menyeluruh.
Ini bercanggah dengan jaminan yang telah diberikan oleh menteri sendiri di dalam sidang Dewan Rakyat pada 18 November 2024, di mana beliau menyatakan bahawa kedua-dua pindaan dan rang undang-undang ini akan dirujuk dan dibentangkan terlebih dahulu kepada jawatankuasa pilihan khas sebelum dibawa ke sidang Dewan Rakyat. Keputusan ini dicapai menerusi mesyuarat rang undang-undang yang dipengerusikan Yang Dipertua Dewan Rakyat Johari Abdul pada 18 Julai lepas.
FKMM telah beberapa kali mengadakan pertemuan dengan Kementerian Pertanian dan Keterjaminan Makanan (KPKM) sejak 2019, namun pertemuan tersebut lebih bersifat taklimat dan banyak persoalan yang dikemukakan tidak dijawab.
Sehingga kini, KPKM gagal membentangkan teks pindaan untuk konsultasi awam dan gagal mengadakan perbincangan bermakna dengan persatuan-persatuan petani kebangsaan, masyarakat Orang Asli dan Orang Asal, serta kerajaan-kerajaan negeri.
Cadangan pindaan Akta PNPV bertujuan untuk menyelaraskan akta tersebut dengan Konvensyen Upov 1991 (International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants).
Walau bagaimanapun, ia bercanggah dengan perlindungan hak petani. Akta PNVP sedia ada telah dipuji sebagai model undang-undang yang berfungsi, yang mengimbangi kepentingan orang awam, pembiak baka tumbuhan komersial, pembiak baka awam dan petani kecil.
Akta ini juga mengandungi ciri-ciri penting yang mempertahankan hak-hak petani dan keterjaminan makanan negara, termasuk pengiktirafan sumbangan petani, kebenaran petani untuk menyimpan, menggunakan, berkongsi dan menjual benih, serta syarat bagi pemohon hak pembiak baka untuk mengisytiharkan sumber genetik bagi menangani ‘bio-piracy’.
Pindaan yang dicadangkan akan menghapuskan ciri-ciri unik yang seimbang ini dan memberikan monopoli yang lebih luas kepada syarikat-syarikat benih dan pembiak baka tumbuhan.
Bagi rang undan-undang kualiti benih tanaman pula, penilaian impak peraturan yang dikatakan telah dibuat pada tahun 2018 adalah sangat tidak teratur dan tidak boleh dipercayai kerana tiada perundingan dengan petani dan orang ramai dibuat sebelum ia dikeluarkan.
Objektif rang undang-undang ini untuk mengelakkan pembeli benih daripada tertipu adalah dipuji, namun dengan mewajibkan pelesenan dan notifikasi kepada Jabatan Pertanian kepada semua individu yang menyimpan dan mengedar benih termasuk petani kecil adalah satu perbuatan yang berlebihan dan hanya akan menguatkan lagi monopoli pihak korporat terhadap benih tanaman.
Ini akan menyekat hak tradisi petani untuk bebas berkongsi dan menjual benih tanaman sesama keluarga, rakan-rakan dan orang awam, serta mungkin menyebabkan peningkatan kos kepada petani dan hukuman denda serta penjara yang keterlaluan.
Oleh yang demikian, FKMM menggesa agar pindaan Akta PNVP dan penggubalan rang undang-undang kualiti benih tanaman ditangguhkan pembentangannya di Parlimen.
Penangguhan ini amat mustahak bagi memberi ruang dan masa yang secukupnya untuk jawatankuasa pilihan khas parlimen dan pihak berkepentingan, termasuk para petani dan masyarakat sivil, untuk meneliti, memberi maklum balas, dan berbincang secara mendalam akan implikasi kedua-dua inisiatif perundangan tersebut.
Akta PNVP sedia ada adalah mencukupi dan perlu dipertahankan. – FKMM
English version
Comprehensive consultation urged before tabling amendments to the PNVP Act and the plant seed quality bill
The Malaysian Food Sovereignty Forum (FKMM) – a network of 250 individuals comprising academics, professionals, NGO representatives and representatives of farmers’ groups – has expressed deep concern over the lack of proper consultation processes regarding the proposed amendments to the Protection of New Plant Varieties Act 2004 (PNPV Act) and the plant seed quality bill.
Although the agriculture and food security minister has stated that the bill will be tabled next year, the issue of inadequate consultation remains critical for both these legislative initiatives.
On 28 June, the Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu announced that amendments to the PNPV Act would be implemented for the purpose of more comprehensive plant variety protection.
There is a high possibility that these amendments will be tabled in the House of Representatives during the second meeting of the third term of 15th Parliament, which is scheduled to take place from 21 July to 28 August 2025.
Meanwhile, the minister was reported as saying on 10 July that the bill would be tabled in Parliament next year.
However, FKMM is very disappointed that to date, the text of the amendment to the PNPV Act and the bill on the quality of plant seeds has not yet been presented to the parliamentary select committee for consultation and comprehensive study.
This contradicts the assurance given by the agriculture minister himself in the House of Representatives session on 18 November 2024, where he stated that both the amendment and the bill would be referred and presented first to the parliamentary select committee before being brought to the House of Representatives session.
This decision was reached through the bill meeting chaired by Houses of Representatives Speaker Johari Abdul on 18 July.
FKMM has held several meetings with the ministry since 2019, but these meetings were more of a briefing, and many questions raised remained unanswered.
To date, the ministry has failed to present the amended text for public consultation and has failed to hold meaningful discussions with national farmers’ associations, Indigenous peoples’ communities, and state governments.
The proposed amendment to the PNPV Act aims to align the act with the Upov Convention 1991 (International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants).
However, it conflicts with the protection of farmers’ rights under various international treaties and declarations as well as the Malaysian Constitution.
The existing PNVP Act has been praised as a working model of law, which balances the interests of the public, commercial plant breeders, community breeders and small farmers.
The act also contains important features that defend farmers’ rights and national food security, including recognition of farmers’ contributions, permission for farmers to save, use, share and sell seeds, and a requirement for plant breeder’s right applicants to declare genetic resources to combat “bio piracy”.
The proposed amendments would remove these unique balancing features and give wider monopolies to seed companies and plant breeders.
As for the crop seed quality bill, the regulatory impact assessment that was allegedly done in 2018 is highly irregular and unreliable because there was no consultation with farmers and the public before it was issued.
The objective of this bill – to prevent seed buyers from being cheated – is commendable. But requiring licensing and notification to the Department of Agriculture for all individuals who store and distribute seeds, including small farmers, is excessive. It will only strengthen the corporate monopoly on crop seeds.
This will restrict the traditional right of farmers to freely share and sell crop seeds among family, friends and the public, and may lead to increased costs for farmers and excessive fines and prison sentences.
Therefore, FKMM urges that the amendments to the PNVP Act and the drafting of the crop seed quality bill be postponed for tabling in Parliament.
This postponement is essential to provide sufficient space and time for the parliamentary select committee and stakeholders, including farmers and civil society, to examine, provide feedback and discuss in depth the implications of both legislative initiatives.
The existing PNVP Act is sufficient and should be maintained. – FKMM
Nurfitri Amir Muhammad is the co-ordinator of the Malaysian Food Sovereignty Forum (FKMM).
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