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Oleh/By : DATO SERI DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD
Tempat/Venue : PUTRA WORLD TRADE CENTRE,
KUALA LUMPUR
Tarikh/Date : 01/10/2002
Tajuk/Title : THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION
ON BIOTECHNOLOGY 2002
Versi : ENGLISH
Penyampai : PM
I am honoured to be invited to address this
International Convention on Biotechnology 2002. The
life sciences are going to play a powerful role in
the social and economic life of the human race. And
Malaysia, which is bountifully endowed with
biological resources by virtue of its tropical rain
forest with its flora and fauna, is very keen to play
a part and to contribute to this area of human
knowledge and its application.
2. Like most of the sciences, biotechnology is not
new. Even as far back as 500 B.C. the Chinese used
molds from fermented soybean curd as an antibiotic to
treat boils. The complete sequencing of the human
genome under the Human Genome Project was an
international effort to map all human genes. This was
launched in 1990. When the first draft of the human
genome sequence was completed and announced in
February 2000 by Celera Genomics, the Biotechnology
Revolution truly began. The complete sequencing of
the Human Genome has opened the door to many new
fields of studies including interaction of genes with
genes, genes with proteins, protein with protein etc.
This has facilitated rapid advances in genomic
medicine, personalised medicine and gene therapy, and
consequently in introducing vast economic
opportunities and potentials.
3. Modern advances in Biotechnology has been made
possible by the tremendous advances in I.T. of which
the powerful super computers are the most significant.
The millions of calculations required to work out the
structure of the DNA would have taken decades without
the powerful computative capacity of the ever more
powerful computers. We have now advanced to the stage
where we can simulate the movements and the reactions
of the molecules as they interact chemically. With
this we are set to design, study and simulate the
various properties of new chemical structures which
can play a role in overcoming the diseases and
ensuring the health of living creatures including we
humans.
4. Truly we are living in a very exciting age.
Already animals are being cloned and some are trying
to clone humans.It seems that we can now produce any
number of Einsteins and also numerous Hitlers. The
ethical scientist may not want to do this but there
will be crooked scientists working under crooked
regimes who may flood the earth with uncontrollable
monsters.It seems like the stuff of science-fictions
but it can become a reality if we do not keep a
tight grip on the direction that biotechnology takes.
It is fine to produce specific organs for
transplanting in human bodies but we should not try
to play God and think of populating this earth with
creatures which may destroy us in the end.
5. And so before we go further the ethics of the
life sciences must be spelt out by the international
community and enforcement agencies set up.
Admittedly, we have not been too successful in
controlling nuclear science. But imagine how many
countries would be having nuclear weapons today if
there had been no control at all.
6. Today we live in fear because we suspect that
some people have the capacity to produce biological
weapons of mass destruction. We may have a war on
our hands because this fear may lead us to react
unwisely and actually precipitate the war which we
want to avoid. There is no guarantee that those who
wish to stop the use of biological weapons may not
unleash the same. We must remember that the atomic
bombs were dropped seemingly in defence by those who
wish to stop a war.
7. I don't mean to dampen the enthusiasm of the
participants at this convention. All I want to do is
to point out the need for us to understand the need
for some control if these new sciences are going to
benefit us.
8. Malaysia has a lot to offer to the biotechnology
industry. We are one of the twelve countries in the
world with mega-diverse bio-resource. Our flora is
estimated to contain about 12,500 species of
flowering plants and more than 1,100 species of
ferns. Our marine ecosystem is rich in a variety of
life forms while the coral community is considered to
be the most diverse in the world. One can view
Malaysia as having a large reservoir of assets that
has yet to be tapped. These assets require
exploration and intensive studies in terms of
research and development in order to make available
to the rest of the world the benefits of
biotechnology, such as cheaper and more efficacious
drugs derived from natural resources, better
therapies and higher crop production with improved
nutrients, taste and quality.
9. Malaysia's foray into biotechnology is not new.
We have been involved in biotechnology research and
development primarily in the agricultural sector.
Our research activities at the Malaysia Agricultural
Research and Development Institute (Mardi),
University Putra Malaysia (UPM), Universiti
Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Sains Malaysia
(USM) etc. have yielded some positive results.
However, it is quite clear that these efforts are
insufficient relative to the vast potential and
opportunities available in biotechnology. We need to
establish biotechnology as another pillar in the
development of our knowledge-based economy.
Comparatively speaking, our R&D has not resulted in
many new patents being registered, much less new
enterprise being launched. This situation reflects
the inadequacies within the country which has not
matched the resources and potential of Malaysia. As
much as we would like to keep our resources to
ourselves, we have to admit that we need
collaboration with foreign scientists and enterprises
even, in order to exploit and benefit from what we
have.
10. We have of course started to train the necessary
manpower but it is unlikely that we will have enough.
Researchers are a special breed of people. They need
a lot of patience and deep interest in their studies
and work. While they can probably make a lot of
money from their research, it remains for others to
believe in the potential of their results and to be
willing to invest large sums of money over a
prolonged period before any return can be expected.
Researchers must therefore accept the need to share
their discoveries with entrepreneurs and investors.
A formula for sharing must be institutionalised so
that the researchers get a fair return on their work.
11. In the Eastern tradition knowledge is not
usually shared. We know how various herbs are used
in the treatment of diseases but there are hardly any
record of the formula or the recipe. Frequently the
recipe dies with the practitioner. At best the
children of the practitioner inherit the recipe with
the injunction not to reveal to anyone but their
children and children's children.
12. The testing of the efficacy of the concoction is
also not done, certainly not systematically and
scientifically. No attempt is made to identify the
actual active ingredient, the dosage, the side-
effects and the contra indication.
13. Although we are now trained in science, some of
the old culture of secrecy and belief in magic even
remains. This is unfortunate because there are
sufficient evidence that the old medicaments are
often effective. As a trained practitioner of modern
medicine I should not be saying this but I used to
suffer from chronic intractable cough accompanied by
running nose and lung infection. What we call modern
medication took a long time to stop the cough. But
persuaded by a Chinese friend, I took Chinese
medicine and the cough stopped. When I had another
attack I tried the medicine again, and again it
worked. I tried to find out what the medicine is
made of and I was told that it was tiger's milk.
Obviously there is no willingness to divulge the
secret.
14. So far no attempt has been made to analyse it,
to identify the active ingredient, to test, and to
produce on a truly commercial scale. In fact it was
hinted that it would be given only to deserving
people free of charge. One should appreciate being
selected but one cannot help feeling that so many
people are being deprived of this effective
treatment.
15. Some of this quaint ideas about what is proper
and what is not still remains within the culture of
Asian people. We have a need to discard most of them
if we want to see the world benefit from our
scientific researches and the enormous biological
resources we have been endowed with.
16. But we also do not want to see the kind of
avarice as shown by the big drug companies.
Admittedly, they spend huge sums of money on research
and development. Not all that they discover at great
expense are worth anything at all. Once in a while
they would come across a fantastic cure. They would
try not only to recover the cost but to make huge
profits for themselves by pricing their drugs beyond
the reach of those most in need of treatment.
17. The treatment of HIV / AIDS is a case in point.
Clinging rigidly to their proprietary rights they
refuse to let others produce the drug unless huge
royalties are paid. Governments of the poor
countries are forced to protect these rights,
maintain the high prices and see their own people
suffer and die for lack of treatment. Millions of
sufferers will die as the drug companies make
billions for their healthy owners and shareholders.
Lives apparently are not so important as intellectual
property and the returns on investments.
18. We agree that large sums of money are needed for
research and developments. But surely there must be
more transparency as to the cost and the recovery.
How long should a copyright be protected and what
percentage of profit should be legitimate and
morally right?
19. Clearly neither the Asian model nor the Western
model is ideal. With so much that can be done in the
field of biotechnology, it is again important that
the question of ethics be given serious
consideration. The whole world must benefit from the
researches that can be done in the life sciences.
The promise is great. While we should ensure a fair
return, we should not be so profit oriented that we
forget our social obligations.
20. There is now a huge outcry over Genetically
Modified agricultural food products. There may be
some basis for this fear of Genetically Modified
products. But Genetically Modified food holds great
promise for the starving people in this world. While
we should not test the Genetically Modified products
on these hapless people, we must expend a lot of
money on verifying the harmful effects as quickly as
science will allow us. It would be unfortunate
indeed if millions must die because the rich have
decided to reject Genetically Modified food in favour
of the more costly normal products.
21. Malaysia is conscious of its wealth of resources
in the field of biotechnology. We are not so selfish
that we will deprive the world of the wonders that
can be developed from these resources. But we must
benefit fairly from the assets that God has bestowed
on us. This is an opportunity for Malaysia to
develop to become a developed country. We should
welcome collaboration in research under conditions
which will allow us a fair share of the benefits.
22. In the Eighth Malaysia Plan, biotechnology has
been identified as a major initiative in the
promotion of science and technology, research and
development and technological innovation to support
Malaysia's overall strategy for sustainable growth in
the knowledge-based economy.
23. The main implementation vehicle for the
Biotechnology development programme is BioValley
Malaysia. This project is intended to be a catalyst
and testbed for the development of Malaysia's
biotechnology industry.
24. BioValley Malaysia will have world-class
facilities and infrastructure. It will be designed
to enable the co-location of a critical mass of
researchers, industry workers and entrepreneurs in an
environment created to facilitate networking, sharing
of information and ideas and the development of
commercial activities pertaining to biotech. It will
incorporate research, commercial, educational,
recreational and residential facilities including a
zone catering specifically for manufacturing.
Moreover, with the project location in the MSC, we
envisage this will foster closer and greater
interactions between industries involving information
technology and biotechnology.
25. We are embarking on a long journey and have
taken the first few steps on that journey. We invite
all of you to join us in this journey and help us in
achieving our aspiration to make Malaysia one of the
key biotechnology hubs in the world while reaping the
great potential benefits from our greatly diversified
bio-resources. This, in short, is Malaysia's
Biotechnology Agenda.
26. On that note, I declare this International
Convention on Biotechnology 2002 open.
Sumber : Pejabat Perdana Menteri
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