Rigorous checks will ensure there is no infestation of the insect
PETALING JAYA: Stringent checks will be carried out to ensure that rice sold in the market is free from weevil infestation, says Agriculture and Food Security Ministry deputy secretary- general Datuk Badrul Hisham Mohd.
He said rice millers and packers are required to conduct routine clean-ups every three months to prevent infestation.
“Weevils often go unnoticed in sealed rice bags as they exist in egg form.
“Once the bag is opened, the eggs hatch, leading to complaints from consumers who purchased the rice packs,” he said.
Badrul Hisham, who is the padi and rice regulatory director- general, said retailers and wholesalers must ensure fumigation and polishing are done to eliminate weevil eggs.
Although authorities cannot regulate how long rice is kept in stores, officers will monitor how much rice is kept at any given location.
Warehouse inspections are carried out by the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry, while retail rice bags are checked by the ministry’s enforcement division to ensure quality is maintained.
Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali (pic) called on rice industry players to ensure that the rice sold is of top quality and free from weevils.
This includes regular fumigation, polishing, and repacking to maintain standards, following numerous consumer complaints about weevils in newly-purchased rice.
He said recent inspections at hypermarkets in the Klang Valley found that consumers are more attentive when they buy rice packs in checking for signs of infestation.
He added that: “Hoarding is a serious offence that disrupts the market and can lead to artificial shortages and price increases.
“In some cases, hoarding contributes to the circulation of lower-quality rice if storage conditions are inadequate.
“We take firm action against hoarding under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011.
“This Act provides us with the power to investigate and seize hoarded rice and impose hefty penalties on those found guilty, including fines and imprisonment.”
Armizan also called on consumers to report artificial rice shortages in the market, and urged consumers to report suspected hoarding of rice or poor-quality rice to the ministry’s branches.
Reports should include details such as the brand of rice, location, and observations about rice quality.
He highlighted the importance of collaboration with the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry to regulate the rice industry comprehensively.
To strengthen enforcement, Armizan said the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry collaborates with the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) for DNA tracking, while it works with the Chemistry Department to improve standard operating procedures for enforcement, evidence handling, and prosecution.
Meanwhile, Mydin Mohamed Holdings Bhd managing director Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin said retailers will bear the financial losses when there is a rice infestation as suppliers refuse to accept returns.
“If we overstock rice and store it in a warm place, bugs will develop,” he said, advising consumers to always wash their rice before cooking.
Consumer Ariani Abdullah, 43, from Subang Jaya, Selangor, said she will check the bags of rice at the shops for holes before buying them.
“If small holes are evident, then it means that insects or weevils may have crawled in.
“Wholesalers keep many bags of rice in their warehouses and the rice might have been there for months before they reached the shops,” she said.
Ariani said there were times when even a week-old bag of rice had weevils in it.
Jamaliah Budin, 55, from Taman Medan here, said that she does not buy much rice to keep.
“During the fasting month, we will get lots of donated rice.
“Sometimes, they end up in the bin due to weevils.
“Last year, my neighbours and I received 30kg of rice each from donors. But we ended up throwing half of it out as our flats are humid and we don’t know if the rice came with weevil eggs.
“We don’t have space in our low-cost flats to sun the rice to get rid of the eggs,” she said.
Jamaliah hoped that those who want to give donations to B40 groups would donate cash so that they can use it to buy rice.
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