PUTRAJAYA, March 14 — The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) has inspected 308 premises and opened 99 investigation papers under Ops Campur, an enforcement operation targeting rice importers and packers over the alleged mixing of imported and local rice.
Its minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said the operation led to the collection of 99 rice DNA samples, with 17 sent to the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute's (Mardi) Biotechnology and Nanotechnology Research Centre for analysis.
"We have entrusted Mardi with the testing, and the DNA analysis will be conducted in stages. If local rice DNA is detected in the samples, further legal action will be taken against those involved," he told the press after attending the 2025 Consumer NGOs Engagement Day programme today.
Ops Campur enforcement falls under the Trade Descriptions Act 2011 (Act 730), which allows legal action against any party found to have misrepresented the content, type, or name of a product under Section 5 of the Act.
Individuals convicted under the Act face a fine of up to RM100,000, imprisonment of up to three years, or both, while companies found guilty may be fined up to RM250,000.
On the rationale for using Act 730 to address the mixed rice issue, Armizan said KPDN applied the Act because the mixing of imported and local rice constitutes an offence under false trade descriptions.
“If anyone sells rice labelled as imported rice but it contains local rice, it is considered a false trade description," he said.
— Bernama
