We are concerned that the International Symposium on Papaya currently being held in Genting Highlands would be an avenue for biotechnology industries to promote transgenic papaya.

The symposium is jointly organised by the Malaysian Agriculture Research and Development Institute (Mardi), the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS), the International Service for the Acquisition of Agricultural Biotechnology Applications (Isaaa) and the International Tropical Fruits Network (TFNet).

With the participation of the Papaya Biotechnology Network of Southeast Asia which is coordinated by Isaaa, the symposium would be an opportunity for the biotech industry to promote genetic engineering. Isaaa facilitates the partnership between Syngenta, Monsanto and five countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam) on the development of genetically engineered papaya with the papaya ringspot virus (PRSV)-resistant and delayed ripening traits. Research findings in biotechnology applications in papaya are purported to be presented at this symposium.

We are very concerned that genetic engineering (GE) is being promoted and used as a solution to address disease problems of papaya and improving the fruit. This is because genetic engineering carries many risks and hazards, which potentially result in adverse health, environmental and socio-economic impacts.

GE contamination is difficult to contain or avoid. There is already widespread contamination by GE papaya in Hawaii. Conventional varieties of papaya grown in Hawaii have tested positive for transgenic seeds, whilst contamination was also detected in the stock of non-GE seeds being sold commercially by the University of Hawaii. Closer to home, there has already been contamination from an experimental field trial of transgenic papaya in Thailand.

One of the concerns of GE food is the risk of allergic reactions. A recent scientific paper shows that the papaya ringspot virus coat protein is one of a number of transgenic proteins that had sequence similarity with known allergenic proteins. To our knowledge, no research has been done to further investigate the implications of this, and the long-term effects to humans are unknown.

In Malaysia, Mardi has already embarked on "contained" field planting of transgenic papaya. Experimental genetically engineered material may enter and contaminate our environment, posing adverse effects to biodiversity and potentially impacting non-GE papaya growers.

Considering the health, environmental and socio-economic hazards posed by genetically engineered organisms, we call upon the Malaysian government to ban all research, field trials, cultivation and commercialisation of GE crops. Given the absence of a comprehensive biosafety laws and public participation in the decision-making process, there is no assurance that proper risk assessments will be done to safeguard public interest and this poses a huge risk to consumers and the environment.

The writer is the president of the Consumers' Association of Penang (CAP) and Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM).