THE opposition should not point fingers over the country’s local rice supply issues, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu said, as this problem was inherited from previous administrations.

Mohamad said the ministry had introduced the Local White Rice Special Programme as a short-term measure to ensure sufficient local rice in the market.

He said under the programme, padi millers and rice wholesalers have been asked to increase the supply of local white rice by 20%.

“The opposition claims there is a lack of rice supply in the country, which is not true. At the same time, it did not do anything to increase production while it was in power.

“Regardless, we will conduct a meeting with the stakeholders to come up with a middle- and long-term solutions for the issues, which will be revealed after the meeting on Thursday.

“I can accept public criticism, but not from them (the opposition) who only want to play the blame game,” he was quoted as saying by The Star Online in Johor Baru today.

Mohamad said the ministry previously introduced initiatives such as the Mini Sekinchan Large-Scale Smart Padi Project, where they managed to increase padi production to 11 metric tonnes per hectare.

The country’s supply situation came under scrutiny after Padiberas Nasional Bhd (Bernas) announced last Friday it had raised the price of imported white rice at all its warehouses nationwide to RM3,200 per tonne, from RM2,350 per tonne, effective immediately.

The price adjustment was done in line with the latest pricing of imported white rice in the international markets, it said in a statement.

Despite the 36% increase, Bernas said Malaysia’s import prices remain the lowest among Southeast Asian countries.

However, yesterday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the price of local white rice has not gone up, slamming critics for giving the wrong picture about the recent price increase of the daily staple.

The prime minister said the government will continue to cap the price of local white rice at RM2.60 per kg – the lowest in the region – and it is the price of imported rice that has increased.

“We cannot control the price of imported white rice but we say the price of (locally grown) rice that locals eat cannot be increased. That is our decision,” Anwar was quoted as saying during a ceramah on Sunday in Johor.

“They say the price of rice has gone up but this is only for imported white rice.

“If you want to eat expensive rice like basmati, you have to pay for it. 

“Facts are facts. Do not lie,” he said of criticism that the government had allowed the prices for all rice varieties to go up. – September 5, 2023.