Amendment To Control Of Paddy And Rice Act 1994 Needed To Prevent Mixing Local Rice With Imported Rice - MP

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 6 (Bernama) -- A Member of Parliament (MP) has proposed that the government amend the Control of Paddy and Rice Act 1994 (Act 522) to allow legal action to be taken against the act of mixing Local White Rice (BPT) with Imported White Rice (BPI).

Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim said Act 522 was seen as lax because there was no legal provision in the act that stated the act (of mixing) as a criminal offence.

“As far as I remember, until today, there has not been any court case of any party being charged with the offence of mixing local white rice with imported rice. So I propose that the Act be amended by including a section stating that mixing local rice with imported rice is a criminal offence that can be punished by the law,” he said when debating the motion of thanks for the Royal Address in the Dewan Rakyat today.

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Hassan said it was understood that previously 93 factories and 130 wholesalers and retailers who were accused of mixing BPT with BPI had been investigated, but to date no one has been charged.

Meanwhile, Bukit Gantang MP Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal asked the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM) to finalise the proposal to introduce a single-grade BPT.

Syed Abu Hussin, who is also the head of the Food Cluster Monitoring Task Force of the National Action Council on Cost of Living (NACCOL), said the proposal was a step to stop the issues of price manipulation and combat rice cartel activities.

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“A single grade rice provides an opportunity to stop price manipulation and the action of parties who mix local white rice with imported white rice. I presented the proposal for one grade, one price rice at the NACCOL full meeting on Feb 23, 2024, but until now there has been no final decision,” he said.

Meanwhile, Datuk Idris Ahmad (PN-Bagan Serai) proposed to restore the establishment (re-establish) of the National Paddy and Rice Board so that farmers get fairer rights in the local rice market.

On the Pilot Fertiliser Scheme, he suggested that the government provide the fertiliser directly to the National Farmers’ Organisation (Nafas) for targeted distribution to farmers.

Datuk Che Mohamad Zulkifly Jusoh (PN-Besut) also urged the government to submit a report on the paddy and rice cartel that has been completed by the Malaysia Competition Commission (MyCC).

The sitting of the Dewan Rakyat Fourth Session (of the 15th Parliament) continues next Wednesday (Feb 12).

-- BERNAMA