Malaysia Wants Safe, Quality Food Imports From India - Liow.

NEW DELHI, (Bernama) -- Malaysia, a large importer of food items from India, is initiating a new agreement with the Indian Government to monitor the quality and safety of imports coming from the sub-continent.

The country imports about 80 per cent of beef (buffalo meat) from India and millions ringgit worth of spices, onions, fresh fruits and basmati rice.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, who was on a day-long visit to India, said both governments would sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Cooperation in the Field of Health and Medicine, which would also stress on food safety.

"We import lot of beef and nuts from India, so we would like to ensure the source is safe. We need a bilateral (agreement) to check on food importation to Malaysia," he told Bernama in a recent interview.

Liow, on a two-city visit to Dhaka and Delhi, arrived last Friday in India, where he held talks with Indian Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, to push the MoU to be signed by this year.

"The MoU will also include exchange of doctors (western medicine), laboratory diagnosis, medical and health research and development, emergency medical response and most importantLY, disease control and surveillance," he added.

Liow also held discussions with the Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Sidhha and Homeopathy (Ayush) officials, to promote alternative medicine in Malaysia in a more structured and professional manner.

"In Malaysia, acceptance of alternative medicine is high, so it is okay for us to mainstream it into government and private hospitals.

"TCM (traditional and complimentary medicine) will compliment western medicine, it will be good for Malaysia and the whole Asean region," noted the minister.

Talks are also in progress to set a special training Indian alternative medicine centre in Malaysia and the Indian Government has offered 20 scholarships for Malaysian students to purse a degree in medicine in the field.

Source : bernama.com