1.

INTRODUCTION

i. BACKGROUND/HISTORY OF COVID-19 PROBLEM

Coronaviruses are a broad family of zoonotic viruses that may cause illnesses varying from
the common cold to serious respiratory illnesses. Zoonotic refers to the ability of these
viruses to spread from animal to human. Numerous coronaviruses that have not yet infected
humans are known to be present in a variety of animal groups. The most recent strain of
COVID to infect humans is COVID-19. It is a respiratory disease caused by severe acute
respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This virus originated from Wuhan City,
Hubei Province, China where it rapidly infected the residents early December 2019.
Respiratory symptoms such a dry cough, fever, shortness of breath, and breathing problems
are typical indicators of COVID-19 infection and are comparable to those of the common
cold. In more extreme situations, infection can result in kidney failure, pneumonia, severe
acute respiratory syndrome, and even death. Serious infection is more likely to strike the
elderly and those with underlying medical disorders such as cardiovascular disease,
diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, or cancer.

Droplets released from an infected individual's respiratory system—often when coughing

or sneezing—transmit the COVID-19 virus from one person to another. According to current
statistics, the average number of days between exposure and the beginning of symptoms is
between two and fourteen. Looking at how fast the viruses infected people and the rapid
increase of cases daily, the COVID-19 was officially announced as pandemic on March 11,
2020, by the World Health Organization (WHO). Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director
General of the World Health Organization (WHO), stated that the COVID-19 pandemic has
impacted 213 countries, with 1,524,162 confirmed positive cases and 92,941 deaths, in his
opening speech during a media briefing on COVID-19 on April 10, 2020.

In Malaysia, the first case of COVID-19 was detected on January 25, 2020, which is 25
days after the first case founded in China. In response to the COVID-19 cases that
increased dramatically each day (after the first reported case), the federal government of
Malaysia implemented Movement Control Order (MCO) or also known as “lockdown” in all
over the country starting on March 18, 2020. The MCO imposed limitations on movement,
assembly, and overseas travel, as well as the suspension of businesses, industries,
government agencies, and educational institutions to slow down the transmission of the virus
since this virus were spread rapidly. However, the daily case rate did not show any decline.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) has taken drastic measure by proposing a full lockdown which
only important economic and services sector will be allowed to operate. Hence, many people
and businesses were affected financially and economically due to the restrictions and
regulations set by the authorities. Not only that, but the government economy also shows a
declining since the onset of the pandemic.

ii. BACKGROUND AND HISTORY OF AGRICULTURE SECTOR

Agriculture sector is one of the essential sectors of Malaysia’s economy. This industry
employs people, generates income for household, and generates revenue through
commodity exports. 12% of the national GDP is generated by the agriculture industry, which
also employs 16% of the population. Despite the fact that the agricultural sector's
contribution to GDP has decreased in recent years, it remains an important portion of the
economy. The country has a total land area of 33.03 million hectares, of which 23.1 percent
is agricultural land, 63.6 percent is forest land, and 13.3% is used for other purposes as of
2015. Peninsular Malaysia has the most agricultural production appropriate land, accounting
for roughly half of all agricultural land in the country. Oil palm, rubber, cocoa, and tobacco
are among the most important industrial crops, all of which are mostly exported. Paddy,
fisheries, fruits, and vegetables are examples of "food crops," which primarily serve, but are
not limited to, the local market. Sugarcane, cassava, maize, and sweet potato are examples
of diverse crops that are grown for both export and domestic markets. For a long time,
Malaysia's agricultural strategy has mostly focused on industrial crops, with some food crops
thrown in for good measure.

The agricultural sector's ongoing challenges, such as rivalry for land with other
industries, workforce shortages, and rising production costs, demand a new set of strategic
directions. Therefore, within the Vision 2020 era, the National Agrofood Policy (2011 –
2020), as well as other agricultural policies and policy tools, have been used to promote the
agriculture sector, with the intent of enhancing food security and income maximization,
particularly among rural farmers. The policy which also called NAP4 prioritizes the long-term
growth of the agricultural economy. The policy was implemented to address the issue of
sustainable agriculture as well as the agro-food industry's competitiveness in terms of food
safety and nutrition throughout the value chain. It also seeks to restructure and change the
agro-food industry to make it more contemporary and dynamic through innovation and the
advancement of technology.

Agriculture has been designated as a National Key Result Area under the National
Agrofood Policy (NAP4). The agriculture industry is expected to boost the Gross National
Income by RM28.9 billion (USD9.1 billion) increase to RM49.1 billion (USD15.4 billion) by
year 2020. By 2020, the agriculture industry also is expected to provide more than 109,000
work opportunities, mostly in rural areas. In a nutshell, this sector requires long-term
transformation initiatives, which are outlined in the National Agricultural Policies.
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Shah, A., Safri, S., Thevadas, R., Noordin, N. K., Rahman, A. A., Sekawi, Z., Ideris, A., &
Sultan, M. (2020). COVID-19 outbreak in Malaysia: Actions taken by the Malaysian
government. International journal of infectious diseases: IJID: official publication of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases, 97, 108–116.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2020.05.093

World Health Organization. (n.d.). Coronavirus. World Health Organization. Retrieved May
31, 2022, from https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus#tab=tab_1

Dardak, R. A. (2015). Transformation of agricultural sector in Malaysia through agricultural

policy. Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI), Malaysia,
7.

A background review of Agriculture and Food Systems in Malaysia, in preparation for the
TEEBAgriFood Malaysia Study. (n.d.). Retrieved June 10, 2022, from
http://teebweb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/2-TEEBAgrifood-Malaysia-Preliminary-
Background-Review.pdf