PUTRAJAYA: The current unrest in the Red Sea is not expected to have a significant impact on Malaysia's agricultural imports.
This, according to Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, is because Malaysia does not rely heavily on agricultural products from nations that use the maritime route.
Mohamad, however, said that the ministry would continue to monitor the situation on a regular basis if it persisted, impacting the country's food supply.
"We do not have (high) imports of agricultural products (from countries) using that route, unlike the previous Ukraine-Russia conflict, which affected our wheat and corn imports.
"The route is mostly used for oil (shipping) and we will monitor from time to time how the situation will impact (the country)," he said when met by reporters at the ministry's 2024 new year's mandate, today.
Also present were Deputy Minister Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup and Secretary-General Datuk Lokman Hakim Ali.
Earlier in his speech, Mohamad said the ministry would also come up with measures to deal with the crisis should it affect Malaysia's agricultural imports.
Previously, the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) had urged the government to keep a close watch on the current crisis at the Red Sea to ensure that the impact did not escalate and further burden businesses and the economy.
Its president Soh Thian Lai said the circumstances in the Red Sea had compelled a number of the biggest shipping companies in the world to reroute their vessels to a considerably longer route that goes around the southern tip of Africa.
Meanwhile, Singapore Institute of International Affairs senior fellow Dr Oh Ei Sun warned that on the import side, the crisis could potentially lead to higher prices and increased burden on consumers as Malaysia heavily relied on the Red Sea route for foodstuff and daily use goods.