00:01Malaysians should brace for higher food prices as global supply chain disruptions intensify,
00:07with the country's heavy reliance on imports leaving it vulnerable to external shocks,
00:12an expert warns. Nazim Rahman, who works for a global commodity fund in the United Arab Emirates,
00:19said the main problem is not whether food is available but whether it remains affordable.
00:24Nazim, who is also an advisor to the Plantation and Commodities Minister,
00:28said conflict in West Asia has again shaken global supply chains,
00:33with oil price volatility and shipping uncertainty starting to push food prices higher.
00:40Because Malaysia depends on imports for key items like fertilizers, beef, dairy, animal feed and some vegetables,
00:48global price increases are quickly felt at home. Nazim said subsidies and price controls have helped
00:55cushion the impact but warned that repeated intervention is becoming harder to sustain
01:00financially. He said Malaysia's food system is built more for efficiency than resilience,
01:06warning that the country risks repeating a cycle of price shocks followed by costly interventions.
01:12He urged Malaysia to build stronger buffers through better stockpiling,
01:16forecasting, forecasting, distribution, supply diversification and coordination.
01:22Natasha Bust, FMT.
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