马来西亚61个农民组织、消费者协会及环保团体组成反对联盟，要求拒绝禅宗农业科学公司提议的转基因水稻田间试验项目[1]。该项目涉及抗草甘膦且抗菌真菌病害的转基因MR219水稻品种，计划在北部霹雳州进行试验[1]。反对方已在公众咨询期末提交了正式反对意见[1]。
反对联盟对试验项目提出了多项顾虑。他们担忧转基因物质可能通过异花传粉污染常规和野生水稻[1]，而马来西亚现有的生物安全法对受污染农民的保护和赔偿机制不足[1]。农民代表Abdul Rashid Yob表示："GM水稻会更糟。这不是答案"[1]。
关于草甘膦的安全性存在争议。世界卫生组织癌症研究机构2015年将其列为"可能对人类致癌"[1]，而美国环保署认为草甘膦"不太可能对人类致癌"，欧洲食品安全局2023年的审查也未发现关键风险[1]。
根据马来西亚农业部数据，国内水稻产量仅满足全国消费量的约一半[1]。
A coalition of 61 agricultural organizations, consumer associations, and environmental groups in Malaysia has submitted formal objections to a proposed genetically modified rice field trial, raising concerns about potential contamination and inadequate regulatory protections.[1] The trial, proposed by Zenith Agri Science, involves a GMO rice variety designated MR219 that has been engineered for glyphosate tolerance and resistance to bacterial and fungal diseases, with the testing planned for the northern state of Perak.[1]
The opposition centers on multiple risks associated with the project. Critics worry that genetically modified traits could spread to conventional and wild rice varieties through cross-pollination, and they argue that Malaysia's biosafety legislation fails to provide sufficient protection and compensation mechanisms for farmers whose crops might become contaminated.[1] Abdul Rashid Yob, a farmer representative, stated: "GM rice will be worse. This is not the answer."[1] The coalition's concerns also reflect broader food security considerations, as Malaysia's agricultural output currently meets only about half of the nation's domestic rice consumption.[1]
The safety profile of glyphosate remains contested internationally. The World Health Organization's cancer research agency classified glyphosate as "probably carcinogenic to humans" in 2015,[1] while the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has determined it is "unlikely to be carcinogenic to humans."[1] The European Food Safety Authority's 2023 review similarly found no key risks.[1]