title: Stakeholders' attitude to genetically modified foods and medicine.
abstract: Public acceptance of genetically modified (GM) foods has to be adequately addressed in order for their potential economic and social benefits to be realized. The objective of this paper is to assess the attitude of the Malaysian public toward GM foods (GM soybean and GM palm oil) and GM medicine (GM insulin). A survey was carried out using self-constructed multidimensional instrument measuring attitudes towards GM products. The respondents (n = 1017) were stratified according to stakeholders' groups in the Klang Valley region. Results of the survey show that the overall attitude of the Malaysian stakeholders towards GM products was cautious. Although they acknowledged the presence of moderate perceived benefits associated with GM products surveyed and were moderately encouraging of them, they were also moderately concerned about the risks and moral aspects of the three GM products as well as moderately accepting the risks. Attitudes towards GM products among the stakeholders were found to vary not according to the type of all GM applications but rather depend on the intricate relationships between the attitudinal factors and the type of gene transfers involved. Analyses of variance showed significant differences in the six dimensions of attitude towards GM products across stakeholders' groups.
authors.affiliation: Centre for General Studies, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), 43600 Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Latifah
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Amin
authors.affiliation: Institute of Malay World and Civilization, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), 43600 Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Jamaluddin Md
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Jahi
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Social Sciences & Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), 43600 Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Abd Rahim Md
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Nor
mesh_terms: D001290:Attitude; D003625:Data Collection; D004345:Drug Industry / Q000379:methods; D030841:Food, Genetically Modified / Q000009:adverse effects; D005818:Genetic Engineering / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008296:Malaysia; D009014:Morals; D000073878:Palm Oil; D010938:Plant Oils; D011639:Public Opinion; D013025:Glycine max / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D010938:Plant Oils; D000073878:Palm Oil