KUALA LUMPUR – Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul served tapioca (ubi kayu) at his Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house hosted at his official residence in Kuala Lumpur today.
This follows his recent statement in which he urged the public not to rely solely on rice as a carbohydrate source and to adopt alternative carbohydrates as a staple food, such as cassava.
“I specifically requested the chef include tapioca on the menu.
“Recently, I issued a statement urging Malaysians to cultivate tapioca on abandoned lands.
“I’ve learned that tapioca holds significant potential. Some countries export tapioca to China and profit greatly from it,” he told reporters.
Johari also apologised for the increase in the price of tapioca following his viral statement urging people to substitute it with rice.
“I apologise for the increase in the price of tapioca. Previously, I believed it was RM4, but it’s now RM6,” he said.
He also advised the villagers who own land to contribute to the tapioca crop, as it has the potential to boost the country’s revenue.
Johari previously stated at a Madani Discounted Sales programme in Bandar Perdana, Kedah, that the move could be a good alternative while waiting for the local white rice supply issue to be resolved.
“But only tapioca has carbohydrates like rice, so if rice is the issue, can we find another alternative to replace the lack of rice by using tapioca?
“We Malaysians always eat rice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It can cause diabetes if you don’t exercise,” he said.
This statement went viral afterward.
On April 9, Utusan Malaysia reported that he said the proposal was only a temporary measure until the local rice supply was sufficient. – April 11, 2024