Dasar kerajaan dan isu sekuriti makanan di Malaysia: Kajian analisis dokumen dan temubual

Agricultural-based food security in Malaysia is given emphasis by the government to ensure a stable food production. The emphasis is designed so that availability of food at the domestic level can be guaranteed. To achieve this goal, the government has focused on the development of agri-food policy on three main issues: changes in government focus from agriculture to industrial country, dependence on food imports, and threats to food security by climate change. Firstly, by using qualitative analysis, this study aims to explore the government's policy agenda for food security in budget documents. Secondly, it evaluates the effect of dependency on food imports to stabilize the country's food security policy. Lastly, it analyzes the government's strategy in addressing the issue of climate change in food security. Therefore, within this framework, this study attempts to examine the agricultural development efforts of food taken by the government in ensuring food security. The study design incorporates analysis of documents and elite interviews in which 20 annual budget documents from 1994 to 2013 were analyzed, in addition to interviews of seven informants. The results of the study through analysis of documents show that the government has placed emphasis on food security by introducing agricultural incentives policy, agricultural development program, provision of credit assistance, application of technology, land development, research and development, as well as facilities consolidation. The government has also been found to have taken a position to stiffen the food security policies in order to minimize the impact of dependency on food imports by strengthening the direction of agriculture, increasing production assurance, reinforcing agencies ability, balancing the trade, and marketing development. In the issue of climate change, the government has been promoting preservation and conservation strategies, risk management, funding, law enforcement, as well as awareness and education to ensure food security. These findings were supported by the views of the elite informants who were interviewed. It is hoped that the findings of this research will help policymakers to formulate policies that are less focused on previous food agricultural policy in terms of strengthening the infrastructure, research and development as well as the development of a young generation of farmers. It is important to promote the production of agricultural food and at the same time protect the country from any unforeseen circumstances related to the issues of food security