FROM WHITE TO 'BLACK' - ANWAR'S 'MADANI WHITE RICE PLAN' THE NEXT TO FAIL SCRUTINY - COME CLEAN ON WHAT SORT OF RICE YOU PLAN TO OFFER THE PEOPLE & HOW MUCH IT'LL END UP COSTING THE COUNTRY - MCA JOINS CHORUS OF DEMANDS FOR TRANSPARENCY AS MAR 1 DEADLINE NEARS
Malaysia Madani white rice plan: Come forth and clarify, prevent negative perceptions of govt
The Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali is urged to provide an immediate clarification on the Malaysia Madani white rice plan to overcome any confusion that arises over the issue.
This follows the announcement by the Chairman of the Task Force (Food Cluster) under the National Action Council for Cost of Living (NACCOL) Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Faisal that the Malaysia Madani white rice is expected to be available in the market starting from March 1. This is a mere few days away.
It is understood that this is not a new type of rice but rebranded local white rice (SST) and imported white rice (SSI) priced at RM30 for a 10kg sack, as opposed to the present RM26 for the SST rice of the same quantity.
Datuk Armizan therefore needs to respond to public perception, including doubts raised by Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin, the President of the Bumiputera Retailers Organization who is reported to have said that retailers and wholesalers were in the dark and not consulted on the matter.
In particular, Datuk Armizan needs to explain why the Malaysia Madani white rice is priced higher and how the market mechanism works, including in terms of supply, import and marketing.
Most essentially, what is the justification for the introduction of this rice? How does the government intend to ensure transparency in its implementation, as well as no increases to the rakyat’s cost of living?
Written by MCA Consumer Affairs Bureau Chairman Tan Kok Eng
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