A U.S. official has said that there is no specfic proof that Malaysia's rice industry will be damaged if it agrees to a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the U.S.

The reason - because Malaysia and US produce different types of rice. Recently, farmers, activists and opposition parties demanded a halt to US-Malaysia FTA negotiations which they say will damage the livelihoods of rice farmers.

The Coalition Against the US-Malaysia FTA delivered a memorandum to Prime Minister calling on him to intervene, arguing that a possible reduction of import tariffs on US farm produce under the FTA would harm Malaysia's rice farmers.