PETALING JAYA: The struggle of facing the rise in food prices, after having gone through two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, may push some people over the edge, says defence minister Hishammuddin Hussein.
This, he said, is already generating a wave of political instability, with potential riots and protests affecting the security environments in several nations, Bernama reported.
He said food insecurity threatened societies and exacerbated conflicts and, therefore, necessitates security cooperation globally.
“In Sri Lanka, protests have erupted over shortages of fuel and other basic goods. Double-digit inflation in Pakistan also arguably contributed to the recent change of government there.
“Peru has likewise been rocked by anti-government demonstrations sparked by rising fuel prices, which have sadly resulted in a number of deaths. The unrest in other parts of the world could lead to security threats that affect all of us,” Hishammuddin said in his speech at a plenary session of the 19th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore today.
“It is now obvious that such security threats are no longer confined to political factors, but also economic considerations.”
Hishammuddin added that just 10 years ago, when people took to the streets of Tunisia, Egypt and elsewhere in the Arab world, protesters were not only crying out for freedom and social justice but also for basic necessities, like bread.
“The cost of pantry staples today has jumped because of the skyrocketing price of commodities like wheat. This has stoked fury, warranted or otherwise, against governments,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama.
Hishammuddin said, however, that he believed the worst was yet to come.
“The damage in Ukraine, a major exporter of many basic commodities, as well as harsh sanctions against Russia, is expected to spur further price increases in the coming months.
“The conflict is in Europe, but the implications and damage are global. Like it or not, food security is critical to peace and stability. There are no two ways about it,” he said.
Besides food insecurity, Hishammuddin highlighted three other common challenges that necessitate security cooperation between nations – an increase in transboundary crime from borders reopening, an upsurge in online disinformation arising from terror groups, and extremists, and the continued threat of biological warfare.
