1. Which is the most important criteria in accepting a product derived from biotechnology (e.g. food, pharmaceuticals)?

Safety - 27 votes (49 %)

Ethics and religions - 12 votes (21%)

Consumer benefits - 8 votes (14%)

Environmental impact - 4 votes (7%)

Regulation - 3 votes (5%)

Price - 2 votes (4%)

 Total votes - 56

2. Who would you trust the most in making a decision on biotechnology products and services?

Scientist - 23 votes (44%)

International agencies (e.g. FAO, WHO) - 16 votes (30%)

Industries - 6 votes (11%)

Government agencies - 5 votes (9%)

NGO's - 3 votes (6%)

Agencies in developed countries (e.g. USDA, USFDA) - 0 votes (0%)

Total votes - 53

3. Do you think Malaysian Government is promoting biotechnology in a balanced manner?

Yes - 6 votes (12%)

No - 8 votes (16%)

Could be improved - 35 votes (72%)

Don't know - 0 votes, (0%)

Total votes - 49

4. Do you think there is enough information available for consumers to make an informed decision?

Yes - 1 votes (2%)

No - 24 votes (53%)

Could be improved - 20 votes (43%)

Don't know - 1 votes, (2%)

Total votes - 46

4. Do you think the various stakeholders involved in biotechnology (policy makers, scientists, industries, religious authorities, media) are communicating enough on biotechnology?

Yes - 4 votes (8%)

No - 35 votes (73%)

Could be improved - 9 votes (19%)

Don't know - 0 votes, (0%)

Total votes - 48

Perception on biotechnology by the public has been known to be varied at times, and a recent poll by MABIC has shown such tendencies of our readers in general. When queried on the central criteria they would derive in accepting biotech products, respondents believed that safety was most important, garnering 48% of votes, in comparison to the 27% of ethics and religion, this is followed by consumer benefits, 14%, environmental impact, 7%, regulation, 5% and price, 4%.

On the other hand, when choosing their most trusted source of information in deciding the use of biotech products, readers were generally split over scientists (43%) and International Agencies (30%), followed by industries (11%), Government agencies (9%) and NGOs (6%).

In terms of the manner the government is promoting biotech, readers generally believed that it is much one-sided, as 20 who voted believed that it could be improved and 24 polled believed that the government was not promoting it in a balanced manner. This is contrasted by the singular voter who believed that the government was balanced in its promotion of biotech.

As for the amount of information out there, 52% of voter believed that there was not enough to make an informed decision. While 43% believed that it could be improved. This is no surprise as readers believed in general that biotechnology stakeholders are not communicating enough biotechnology (73%) compared to 8% who believed otherwise, and 19% who believed that such communication could be improved.