Asian Angle | Why Malaysia and Singapore must make food security a priority in the JS-SEZ

Few issues bind nations as tightly, or expose their weaknesses as starkly, as food security. As Malaysia and Singapore celebrate the launch of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), there is a rare opportunity to move beyond commercial ambition and sow the seeds of lasting food security for both countries.

Formalised at the start of this year, the JS-SEZ has been widely celebrated as a catalyst for cross-border economic integration. But behind the promise of advanced manufacturing and digital finance lies a deeper, more urgent opportunity.

Singapore and Malaysia may have ranked a respectable 28th and 41st, respectively, in the 2022 Global Food Security Index, but these figures mask deeper vulnerabilities. Both nations are acutely exposed to external shocks, particularly from climate change.

Singapore, which imports over 90 per cent of its food from 170 countries, is highly susceptible to supply disruptions. The Malaysian chicken export ban of 2022 was a telling episode, forcing Singapore to scramble for alternatives in Indonesia and beyond. Meanwhile, Singapore’s ambitious “30 by 30” policy – aimed at producing 30 per cent of its nutritional needs locally by 2030 – is still a somewhat distant dream.