Malaysia’s food security score improved significantly in 2024, rising to 61.5 from 54.5 the previous year, reflecting positive progress in the country’s overall food security, according to the Malaysian Food Security Index.
Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the assessment was based on four key dimensions, with food accessibility recording the highest score at 79.9, followed by stability (54.6), usability (50.4) and availability (50.0).
Mohd Uzir said the strong accessibility score indicates that Malaysia currently faces no major difficulties in obtaining food supplies, as any shortfall in domestic production can still be supplemented through imports.
However, he stressed that the availability dimension, particularly local food production, remains an area that requires substantial improvement.
“This is why future economic priorities must focus on strengthening the agricultural sector. I believe this will further improve Malaysia’s Food Security Index,” he said during the Simfoni Data dan Media special discourse programme.
He attributed the improvement in the index to ongoing government initiatives promoting modern agricultural technologies, including the use of the Internet of Things (IoT) and drone technology.
Mohd Uzir said the agriculture sector should gradually transition towards larger-scale commercial operations, although smaller-scale projects remain important as a foundation for sustainable growth.
He added that the preliminary report will be refined further, including the development of a digital dashboard to provide easier access to food security data and analysis.
On the global situation, Mohd Uzir noted that food insecurity remains a serious concern worldwide.
Citing the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) 2024 report, he said an estimated 673 million people continue to suffer from hunger, while more than 2.3 billion people face moderate to severe food insecurity.
He added that climate change, geopolitical conflicts, supply chain disruptions and rising energy prices continue to drive global food price volatility, increasing import costs for food-importing countries such as Malaysia.
