KUALA LUMPUR – The supply issues of local white rice over the past months has ticked off Bumiputera Retailers Organisation president Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin, leading him to speculate whether rice millers are employing underhanded tactics to take advantage of the price hikes.
Ameer alleged that there could be efforts to alter the packaging of local white rice products, allowing manufacturers to promote the products as imported goods.
“The speculation among retailers is that some rice millers are using the ‘tukar baju’ (changing clothes) tactic where the packaging of local rice is changed to that of imported products because imported rice is pricier.
“If this tactic isn’t being used, then the question is, where is our local rice? It cannot just disappear by itself. Is our local rice being sent overseas?” Ameer questioned when contacted by Scoop.
Ameer, who is also Mydin Mohamed Holdings Bhd managing director, said the possibility of the “trick” taking place is highly likely as the past three to six months have apparently seen a shortage of SST5 (local) rice in markets, with aisles instead being stocked with imported rice.
“There is no more SST5 rice in markets. Millers are not sending the rice anymore. All the rice being sold in Mydin is now imported white rice – so of course the price is expensive.
“Before Bernas (Padiberas Nasional Bhd) announced the price hike of all imported white rice, imported rice cost RM32 for 10kg. But with the RM7 increase for 10kg, the price is now RM39.”
He also claimed despite the matter of supply shortage for local white rice having been raised many times previously, the issue continues to persist.
“There’s been a shortage of SST5 rice for three to six months now and I have made many statements on the matter. Even in meetings with government representatives, I told them that we have a problem, and they listened to me.
“I hope they (authorities) take necessary action, but I don’t know what they’re doing.
“Now, I just want to know, where is the (local) rice going? The government has the answer to this, they just don’t want to reveal it,” Ameer alleged.
Commenting on the meeting that the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry will be holding with Bernas next Thursday, an apparently jaded Ameer said the meeting is unlikely to solve the ongoing issue.
“Nothing will happen (as a result of the meeting). To me, the government is well aware (of supply issues), it’s not anything new. Nasi sudah menjadi bubur (the rice has turned into porridge).
“Even if they meet today, it’s not like they can plant the padi tomorrow and harvest it the next day. They knew about the problem months ago. What’s the point in meeting now?” he lamented, urging the government to avoid issuing “rhetorical” statements on the matter and instead to be honest with the people.
Previously, Bernas adjusted the retail price of imported white rice, with the 36% increase causing a tonne of the rice to go from costing RM2,350 to RM3,200 effective last Friday.
The corporation said it had endured a challenging first half of the year as a reflection of the uncertainties contributed by multiple external factors such as climate change, weakening foreign exchange rates, high operational costs and regional conflicts.
It added that it has been absorbing price increases of imported rice for the past few years now. – September 3, 2023