Malaysian Biosafety Act 2007 - NRE

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BIOSAFETY NEWSLETTERVOLUME 01 I ISSUE 01 I APRIL 200910 th ISBGMO16-21 November 2008Wellington, New ZealandThe land of the tuatara, the kiwi and thehobbit, coupled with breathtaking naturalbeauty where Mother Nature (still) rules –New Zealand is a magical destination in itself.What better venue then for the 10th InternationalSymposium on the Biosafety of GeneticallyModified Organisms (ISBGMO) organised bythe International Society for Biosafety Research(ISBR).Prepared byNg Cheah WeiNg Cheah Wei is a ResearchOfficer attached to CEBAR,University of Malaya.The author of this article wouldlike to express her heartfeltgratitude for the fundingprovided by NRE-UNDP-GEFBIOSAFETY PROJECT andthe in-kind support fromCEBAR-UM, that enabled herto attend this worthwhilesymposium. Also thanks toDr Anita Anthonysamy (NRE),Ms Mahaletchumy Arujanan(MABIC), Ms Islah Ishak(BIOTECHCORP) and Ms JuanitaJoseph (BIOTECHCORP),for making the trip morememorable.The ISBGMO is held as a biennial event since1990 to highlight environmental biosafetyresearch. This 10th meeting in Museum of TePapa, Wellington puts the spotlight on pastachievements in biosafety research in geneticallymodifiedorganisms (GMOs) and also charts thefuture directions for the field as a whole. In linewith the aim of fostering meaningful dialoguevia a multidisciplinary approach, a diverse arrayof stakeholders such as scientific researchers,policy makers, regulators, non-governmentalorganisations and industry representatives,attended this meeting.The symposium programme comprised ofplenary sessions, workshops and posters over5 days. Topics reviewed include the use ofcurrent scientific knowledge on the risk analysison GMOs. New research focusing on theimpact of biotic and abiotic stress resistanceon the fitness and invasiveness of GMOs werediscussed. As GMOs can either be of plant oranimal origin, biosafety issues associated withgenetically-modified (GM) domestic animals,fishes and insects were highlighted.From an environmental point of view, impactsof GMOs on soil systems formed part of theprogramme. Methods to restrict gene flowfrom GM crops to non-target crops, especiallyfor GMOs with higher potential, generatedinteresting viewpoints from the audience. Thescientific rationale and methods of post-marketenvironmental monitoring of GMOs werepresented and there was a general consensusthat a post-market monitoring needed to beimproved for optimum effectiveness. Lookingat the symposium topics, one could imaginethat regulation of GMOs would be a topic thatconsistently generates the most discussions.Questions and suggestions as to how theregulation of GMOs can be brought more in linewith scientific requirements were discussed.Workshops on field trials case study, riskassessment and risk communication wereuseful and well organised. A special forum wasarranged at which members of the public wereinvited to put questions to a panel of scientistsregarding issues surrounding GMOs. This was agood platform for both laypersons and scientiststo exchange their thoughts and opinions.Overall, the 10th ISBGMO was successfulin meeting its stated objectives and its rolewill only increase in importance in tandemwith growing public and political awarenessregarding GMOs.The 11th ISBGMO will be held in Buenos Aires,Argentina. Malaysia will be putting a rival bidto host this meeting in year 2012. If all plansgo well, the 12th ISBGMO will be held in KualaLumpur. In line with the impending introductionof the Malaysia Biosafety Act, this would be agood opportunity to spur research interest inbiosafety and to raise awareness in our part ofthe world.16
UNIDO-UM e-BiosafetyMasters ProgrammeBIOSAFETY NEWSLETTERVOLUME 01 I ISSUE 01 I APRIL 2009AdvertorialThe UNIDO-UM e-BIOSAFETY MASTERS PROGRAMME is an internationally accredited course in the field ofbiosafety. It is based on a combination of distance-learning and on-campus training sessions. The programmeduration is twelve months and upon graduation students will be awarded an academically accredited Master inBiosafety from the University of Malaya. This programme is endorsed by the Ministry of Natural Resources andEnvironment (NRE) of Malaysia and is supported through technical cooperation under the aegis of the United NationsIndustrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).This programme is an upgrade of the previous postgraduate diploma training course. GMO detection with theoreticaland practical aspects, together with hands-on training has been added to the course. The Malaysian Biosafety Act2007 and other regional Biosafety Regulations will also be introduced as part of the course material.At the end of the programme, successful graduates will be able to conduct risk assessments and apply riskmanagement options in the field of biosafety. They will have acquired skills to deal with public policy issues at theinterface of science, government, industry and civil society. They will also have the analytical knowledge necessaryto comply with regulatory legislations in the field of biotechnology.This programme is targeted at individuals interested in, or are, engaged as biosafety professionals in governmentagencies or industry. It is also tailored for individuals with an interest in public policy, legal and ethical aspects ofbiotechnology.For further information, please contact:Dr Chan Kok Gan (kokgan@um.edu.my)orThe SecretariatUNIDO-UM e-BIOSAFETY MASTERS PROGRAMMECentre for Research in Biotechnology for Agriculture(CEBAR)Level 5, Block B, Institute of Postgraduate StudiesBuilding, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia.Tel : +603 7967 6993Fax : +603 7967 6991Email : biosafety@um.edu.myA limited amount of funding is available forMalaysians. Applicants from the government agenciesare strongly encouraged.TO APPLY, kindly contact:Dr. Vilasini PillaiEmail : vila@nre.gov.my17
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