Regulatory Politics in Malaysia

Abstract

Agricultural modernisation in Malaysia has entailed many changes. A growing dependence on more sophisticated agrochemicals has been one consequence. The more general strategies, as well as some of the more detailed policy implications, have been linked to a variety of international agencies. In the process Malaysia, and the South-east Asian region generally, has come to occupy an increasingly important place in the outlooks of leading western and Japanese chemical companies. Issues of pesticide use in agriculture became during the 1970s an important theme in criticism by a variety of domestic environmental and consumers’ pressure groups of official economic development plans. The cause of the Malaysian environment, moreover, was taken up by external groups in western countries. The evolution of the government’s policies in relation to pesticide regulation in part reflected the character of broader policy processes in Malaysia.1 Emphasis is placed in this chapter on the interplay between the various domestic and external actors attempting to influence the main lines of development of pesticides regulation: the chemical companies themselves, both Malaysia and foreign, international agencies, and the more significant pressure groups inside the country.KeywordsNatural RubberPesticide ResidueInternational AgencyRegulatory PoliticsAgricultural ModernisationThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.