KOTA KINABALU: The government is prepared to face any impact due to the heatwave including on the price of rice, says Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub
The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister also said there's been no decision by the government yet to increase the price of rice.
He was responding to media reports on Friday (June 23) about the shortage of rice due to the hot weather as a result of the El Nino phenomenon.
"Now, we have asked our officers to obtain information from MAFS (Agriculture and Food Security Ministry), so we should get it hopefully by late evening," he said.
"My ministry and MAFS will exchange notes as soon as possible today regarding this matter. We will then issue a statement," he told reporters after launching the "Misi Rahmah Economi Sempadan Malaysia-Brunei" programme at the Petronas Dagangan Bhd Depot in Sepanggar Bay here.
The programme sees the supply of 150 tonnes of unsubsidised Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) from Malaysia to Brunei between June 16 and July 1.
On Friday (June 23), the media quoted Mydin Mohamed Holdings Bhd (Mydin) managing director Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin saying there would be a price hike of RM1 and RM2 per bag on various types of rice, next month.
Ameer Ali also attributed the increase in the price of local white rice due to the shortage of supplies as a result of the recent heatwave that affected last season's padi harvest, but he added that supply is expected to stabilise by September.- Bernama
