KUALA LUMPUR – The Approved Permit (AP) to import rice is still being enforced, said the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries (MAFI).
However, the AP to import cabbage, old coconuts, chicken meat and milk has been struck off with immediate effect.
“The decision to abolish AP was decided by the Cabinet Minister’s Meeting,” it said in a statement today.
According to MAFI, although AP is no longer required to import agro-food commodity, the importers still need to own the Import Permit (IP) for biosecurity control at the national borders.
This is to ensure biosecurity control and the imported products would be free of diseases and pests, besides being procured from processing plants recognised by the government.
With the abolition of AP, all companies are allowed to import all agro-food commodities, subjected to the IP issued by the Department of Malaysian Quarantine Inspection Services (MAQIS) and its terms and conditions written on the permit in line with Subsection 11(1) Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Act 2011 (Act 728) and other Regulation and Acts.
According to that statement, MAFI will continue to play its role in ensuring the sustainability of agro-food sector in every food chain so that the people will continue to get sufficient, safe and healthy food supplies and at the same time, protecting the welfare of the local food producers. -MalaysiaGazette
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