Paraquat Kills! There is no antidote for it! Don't lift the ban on Paraquat!

These were the urgent calls made by a group of Malaysian plantation workers at the Parliament House last week, on April 20, 2005.

Accompanied by PAN AP's executive director Sarojeni V Rengam and PAN’s local partner, Tenaganita director Dr. Irene Fernandez, the women workers’ armed themselves with courage and told stories of how Paraquat has destroyed their lives, at a press conference held at the Parliament lobby.

Following that, the group handed in a memorandum to the Agriculture Ministry’s Secretary YB Rohani, and to several Members of Parliament including Democratic Action Party (Opposition) leader Mr. Lim Kit Siang and Ms. Chong Eng, PAS (Islamic Party Malaysia) Youth Leader Mr. Sallehudin AYub and Barisan Nasional MP Mr. James Davous Mamit from Mambong, Sarawak and Gerakan MP Mr. Mah Siew Kong.

Earlier, the women sprayers were not allowed into Parliament by security personnel. PAN AP’s staff were also held back at the security check-points, and were later allowed in after several negotiations with Parliament officials.

However, with the intervention of MP Chong Eng, the workers were finally allowed to go to the Opposition Leader's office on the 14th Floor. They were not even allowed to be interviewed in the Parliament "People's Hall" by journalists.

Before leaving the House plantation worker Nagamah, one of the leaders, said the group will not give up their fight to maintain the ban.

"We will struggle and continue our fight to keep the ban on paraquat!” she said.

International Support for PAN AP

Meanwhile, Sarojeni said that several international associations are urging the Government to maintain the ban on the hazardous weedkiller paraquat.

“The groups are urging for Malaysia to keep the ban as studies have shown the adverse health effects of this weedkiller,” she added.

“Even international associations and communities are worried about Malaysia’s move to reconsider lifting the ban, imposed in 10 countries worldwide. We urge the Government to seriously take this into consideration,” she stressed.

At the same press conference, Tenaganita director Dr Irene Fernandez, said Syngenta, who is the largest producer of the poison, has absolutely no concern over the health effects and impact of paraquat.

“We have sufficient documented evidence”

Dr Irene said the National Poison Centre at Universiti Sains Malaysia, has sufficient documented evidence to show paraquat causes long term health problems.

“And with continuous exposure like that which is faced by over 30,000 women pesticide sprayers daily, with 8 hours of spraying, there can be irreversible damage to health”.

“Statistics from the Poison Center reveal that from 1987-1997, in 27% of the poisoning cases, death due to paraquat came from accidents and exposure from normal usage by workers”.

“From 1977-1997, on an average, one Malaysian worker died every four days due to paraquat poisoning,” she added.

But what is most depressing, said Dr. Irene, is the Ministry of Agriculture’s inconsistent behaviour and a pro-money position with a total lack of transparency.

“The decision to review the ban without consulting the affected communities, especially women pesticide sprayers is unjust, insensitive and shrouded in secrecy,” she said.

“The state cannot absolve its responsibility to the protection of women pesticide sprayers,” she added.

“ The Ministry of Agriculture must also respect and uphold the different laws of our land that accord this protection. It cannot be swayed by industries whose only goal is to make highest and biggest profits. The Minister must be accountable to the people, to Malaysians,” she declared.

Agriculture Ministry’s Response to the Memorandum

Recent newspaper reports state that the Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Ministry will decide on whether to lift the ban on paraquat use after a study by the National Poisons Board.

Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the ministry was awaiting the outcome of a study, which was ordered following appeals by farmers to be allowed to use paraquat again.

He said the farmers argued that paraquat was more effective and economical than other poisons. But International protests are building against the Malaysian government’s decision to reconsider the ban.

International Support for the Ban to Stay continues...

The Malaysian government’s stance on paraquat has invited a host of protests from several International organizations world-wide.

Mr. François Meienberg of the Swiss-based Berne Declaration, said in a letter to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi that recent scientific findings and the positions of various countries make it clear that a total ban of paraquat is the only way to protect the health of plantation workers and farmers.

Meienberg said that exposure to paraquat has been reported to be significantly associated with effects on the respiratory system and lungs.

“The incidence of chest cold in farmers’ children was clearly associated to exposure to paraquat and occurrence of chronic bronchitis was significant among paraquat users. It has been found that paraquat exposure causes damage to the eyes, the skin, the gall, the liver and/or kidney.

“There is evidence that paraquat can induce skin cancer and may be associated with the development of Parkinson's disease and that paraquat has been found to inhibit the activity of certain serum enzymes,” he reported.

Dr. Philip Michael, Chairman of the Irish Doctors Environmental Association [IDEA] also sent a letter to the Malaysian PM stating that, “to now repeal the ban is a catastrophic retrograde step, which is sending all the wrong messages to the international community and chemical industry, which the European Union and other industrial societies are attempting to control.

We already have far too many chemicals in our environment and in our bodies, and we urgently require to reduce this burden on mankind and nature”.

Bangladeshis find Malaysian Government’s Recent Decision “Shocking”

From Bangladesh, a coalition of 8 organization respectively Bangladesh Krishok Federation, Bangladesh Kishani Sabha, Bangladesh Adivasi Samity, Bangladesh Floating Laborers' Union, Bangladesh Floating Woman Laborers' Union, Ganochhaya Sanskritic Kendro, Bangladesh Rural Intellectuals' Front and Biplobee Jubo Sabha said they were very much shocked to learn that the Malaysian Government has decided to reconsider the withdrawal of ban on Paraquat that is the most deadly weed killer.

“The Malaysian Government's groundbreaking decision in August 2002 to ban Paraquat was an inspiring matter for all Asian countries,” said the coalition’s coordinator, Badrul Alam, also in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi.

“But this shocking and unbelievable decision announced on April 15, 2005 in Malaysian broad sheet will dismay farmers and consumers all over the world. The decision of a withdrawal of ban on paraquat poison will only prove that the Malaysian Government is going to serve the interest of giant TNC, Syngenta ignoring the people's interest that is quite unexpected,” he added.

Syngenta “clearly unhappy” but who is more important?

PAN Aotearoa New Zealand Coordinator Dr. Meriel Watts said that few governments have prioritised occupational health and safety in this way, and the leadership demonstrated (earlier) by the Malaysian Government has been recognised and applauded.

Dr Meriel said that such bans on hazardous pesticides can now assist governments of other countries, by sharing information under the Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent.

“Malaysia has now notified its ban to the Secretariat, giving other governments the opportunity to follow its lead, and a withdrawal of this notification would set an unfortunate precedent as well as making it more difficult for other governments to draw on the Malaysian experience,” she added.

“Quite clearly Syngenta, the proprietor of the main paraquat product, Gramoxone, is unhappy about the ban, but surely the health of Malaysian workers matters more that the profits of a foreign corporation,” she further said.

Dr Meriel said that as a consultant in New Zealand on weed management policies and practices, as well as a prior member of the Pesticides Board, she was very aware that there are many effective alternatives to the use of paraquat for the management of weeds.

“In fact paraquat is widely regarded as a rather outdated method precisely because of the terrible human health effects and environmental impacts, and because there are more effective alternatives”.