KUALA LUMPUR: A lawmaker has questioned the supposed prevalence of imported rice in the market, urging that locally-produced rice must be made easily available
Citing numerous complaints, Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Karim questioned why imported rice appeared to dominate the market despite substantial government spending to support local rice production.
“Where is the locally-produced rice that the government has spent billions on?
“Parliament has approved billions of ringgit for local rice, but it’s still not available,” he said when debating the Supply Bill 2025 in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday (Nov 18).
He also raised concerns over perceptions among the public that imported rice being sold in the market might include a mix of local and imported varieties.
“Can the ministry clarify whether the imported rice is entirely sourced from abroad, or is some of it local? This is the perception out there,” he said, urging the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry to provide a clear explanation.
Hassan called on regulatory units under the Control of Padi and Rice Act 1994 (Act 522) to fulfil their mandate effectively, pressing the minister and deputy minister to take more active steps to resolve the problem.
“It’s been two years, and this issue remains unresolved. This is embarrassing - there’s no pandemic now,” he said.
He also criticised the lack of progress despite significant government expenditure on agriculture.
“Billions have been spent, yet the issue of food security remains unsolved. What’s the point of having a budget worth hundreds of billions of ringgit if the basic issue of food security is not fixed?”
While local rice is priced at an affordable RM2.60 per kg on paper, Hassan argued that this was meaningless if it remained unavailable in the market.
“What’s the point of cheap local rice if it’s nowhere to be found? How much longer will this take? Do we need to wait for two more election terms before it’s resolved?” he asked.
Hassan emphasised that ensuring food security is a fundamental responsibility of the government, urging immediate action to address the issue before it worsens further.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Malaysia faced challenges in its rice supply chain, leading to an increased reliance on imported rice.
The pandemic disrupted global supply chains and affected domestic production, prompting the government to secure additional rice imports to ensure food security.
In 2020, the country imported approximately 1.22 million tonnes of rice, valued at around RM2.5bil, an increase from 2019, when imports were about 1.1 million tonnes, valued at RM2.1bil.
In 2022, Malaysia imported approximately 1.24 million metric tons of rice, valued at around RM2.68bil, a slight increase from 2021, where imports were about 1.16 million metric tons.
