KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 19 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has refuted the allegations that the Malaysia Madani white rice proposal would support cartel activities which mix Local White Rice (SST) and Imported White Rice (SSI).
On the contrary, the government's action is aimed at curbing cartel interference, but there has been no decision regarding the issue so far, and it will be discussed in more detail at the upcoming National Action Council on Cost of Living (NACCOL) meeting.
"No, we are cutting cartel intervention but we will discuss with NACCOL. No decision (yet)," he told the press after attending a "Meet-and-Greet" session with Maybank staff and the Launch of the 'myimpact SME HUB' Empowerment Programme at Menara Maybank today.
Also present were Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Mohd Na'im Mokhtar, Deputy Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Datuk R. Ramanan, and Maybank Group chairman Tan Sri Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa.
Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, was responding to remarks by Umno Youth chief Akmal Saleh, who urged Anwar not to allow the implementation of Malaysia Madani white rice as proposed by Bukit Gantang MP Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal, claiming that it supports cartel activities.
On February 14, Abu Hussin, who is also the chairman of NACCOL's Food Cluster Task Force, announced that the government will introduce Madani Malaysian White Rice, which would be sold at RM30 per 10kg sack starting February 19, with expectations to hit the market by March 1.
He said this meant that there would no longer be categories of SST and SSI, except for Madani Malaysian White Rice as a single category.
— Bernama
