He said the ministry would work with the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry as well as plantation companies in ensuring stability in the nation’s food supply since food insecurity could be a threat and multiplier for violent conflict.

“Thus, the ministry officials have been asked to identify the ministry’s idle and unutilzed land to be leased out to interested parties for crop cultivation such as rice, maize and others,” he told reporters after addressing the 30th Asia-Pacific Roundtable here today.

Hishammuddin said with drought, floods and climate changes, food insecurity had became a security and defence matter.

“As farming is not an expertise of Mindef, inclusive cooperation, possibly with the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry and plantation companies, is being considered,” he said.

Earlier, in his speech, apart from stressing on the topic of food insecurity, Hishammuddin said the ministry was also looking very seriously into the protection of the nation’s cyber defence.

Hishammuddin said most critical national infrastructure (CNI) depended on Information Technology (IT), and that with increasing reliance on IT systems, there was an even greater need for cooperation and convergence between the roles of physical security and cyber security.

He added that cooperation between nations was needed to totally counter cyber threats.

Hishammuddin also touched on terrorism, maritime security, especially on the South China Sea disputes, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

On the South China Sea, he said Malaysia remained convinced that the Code of Conduct (CoC) was the best way to govern the competing claims to the waters and urged for intensified consultations.

“We call upon all countries to ensure that diplomacy prevails and that differences are resolved peacefully via multilateral platforms such as Asean,” he added.

– BERNAMA