DBN 2.0 Receives Positive Feedback from the Country’s Biotechnology Community

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BY: Michelle Liew

The government's move to launch the National Biotechnology Policy 2.0 (DBN 2.0) has received positive feedback among the country's biotechnology community.

Chief Executive Officer of the National Institutes of Biotechnology Malaysia (NIBM) Prof Datuk Dr Raha Abdul Rahim said attention and focus should be given to the biotechnology industry so that Malaysia does not fall behind in the context of the progress of ASEAN countries.

"The MyGenom project which was also announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob is very important for the country in producing reference genomes for the diverse population and ethnicity of Malaysian families in order to drive precision medicine initiatives for Malaysians," she said in a statement yesterday.

She said NIBM is ready to take responsibility for implementing the project as well as all the main cores of DBN 2.0.

In the same statement, Universiti Malaya Lecturer Dr Rofina Yasmin Othman said the launch of DBN 2.0 shows the government's commitment to support the economic sector involving the biotechnology industry.

"It is certain that the entire biotechnology ecosystem is very happy with the launch of DBN 2.0. Lots to look forward to!" she said.

Malaysian Bioeconomy Development Corporation Chief Executive Officer Mohd Khairul Fidzal Abdul Razak said he believes DBN 2.0 will breathe new life into the biotechnology and bio-based industry in Malaysia.

He hopes to work closely with all stakeholders such as the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) to improve the BioNexus Guarantee Bill and strengthen the Bio-Based Acceleration (BBA) program to form a more dynamic and thriving biotechnology ecosystem in this country.

Chief Executive Officer of GK Aqua Sdn Bhd Giva Kuppusamy said the Bionexus-status biotechnology aquaculture company is taking up the challenge to achieve the DBN 2.0 policy target, in line with the three aspects of the biotechnology industry, biotechnology talent and the importance of research.

Yesterday, the Prime Minister launched DBN 2.0 which focuses on three main pillars in empowering the sector in line with the aspiration of making Malaysia a high-tech country by 2030.

Ismail Sabri said the three main pillars are agricultural biotechnology and food security; health and wellness care; as well as industrial biotechnology and the circular economy.