A company founder recently claimed that her products had not received much attention in Malaysia, despite creating what she called the “world’s first photosynthesis enhancer.”
The company, Qarbotech, was officially launched in 2018 by Dr. Suraya Abdul Rashid from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and Chor Chee Hoe.
According to Astro Awani, Suraya initially patented a special material called “quantum dots” and, later on, through her research in 2016, discovered that the material was similar to chlorophyll in how it interacts with light.
Building on this discovery, she developed a spray designed to enhance photosynthesis in plants and found that the increase in photosynthesis levels was “unprecedented,” according to her co-researcher during the product’s development phase.
Since then, the company has expanded the product into other categories catering to different types of plants.
Despite securing RM3 million in seed funding and grants from 500 Global, which includes Khazanah Nasional, the locally made product has not gained much traction in Malaysia.
In a post shared on Threads by @matt.kamil, Suraya explained that her products have instead gained international recognition for their potential in agriculture.
In a screenshot from the interview, Suraya claimed that most of her products are exported abroad.
“We realised they appreciate science. When we explain our products to foreigners, they understand straight away,” she said.
Suraya also emphasised that the product was created to help address Malaysia’s food security issue.
“This is a product made by Malaysians. It is sad if Malaysians do not use it,” she added.
Netizens were divided over Suraya’s statements, discussing both product marketing and Malaysians’ knowledge of agriculture.
“The public is not solely to blame for this. Agrotech is not a topic everyone is familiar with,” one user remarked.
“The relevant ministries should be more aware of this. Has not even one of them approached her? There are many smart and competitive Malaysians, but it’s unfortunate that we fail to recognise them,” another user commented.
“Maybe the issue lies in how the product is marketed to local farmers. There’s little education on how speeding up photosynthesis can accelerate plant growth, so farmers might not understand how the product works,” another user pointed out.
