Dear Valued Subscribers,

Greetings from Michigan! I am writing this message sitting in the middle of the vast, beautiful campus of Michigan State University. You can’t help but be impressed with the level of research work that is going on in this public university. On top of it, the university is also committed in carrying out outreach programmes for both locals and foreigners. Also, a word about the delegates who are with me here from various countries - most of them are policy makers and regulators who are so committed in promoting biotech in their countries and are enthusiastic in adopting science-based regulations that will help them to adopt GM technology. Certainly, these people have seen the benefits and do not want to be left behind. These countries have extensive ongoing local research and some of them have commercialized cultivation of GM crops which gives them the experience of product stewardship. Seeing these, leads me to one question – where is Malaysia?

Back home, it is heartening to read about Budget 2008 where RM236 million has been allocated to buy technology for biotech sector and to set up a Biodiversity Research Centre and Biotech Commercialization Centre, as well as anti-cancer component research. The government’s effort must be commended; however, equal effort and fund need to be allocated for home grown research if we want Malaysia to be a real player. The popular notion that biotech is a threat to our biodiversity must be shed off. We need to understand that biodiversity is akin to raw ingredients and biotech is the tool that will add value to the ingredients which otherwise will remain useless.

Looking at the pace of all other developing countries are moving, Malaysia has no choice but to have only one speed – full throttle!

We need one message, one speed, one voice.

Wishing all Muslims members a blissful Fasting Month. See you in the next issue.

Mahaletchumy Arujanan
Executive Director