Sabah’s Rice Supply Sufficient, No Need For Panic Buying – Mustapha

KOTA KINABALU, April 6 (Bernama) -- Rice supplies in Sabah remain sufficient despite recent shortages reported at several major supermarkets in the Sepanggar area.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak) and member of Parliament for Sepanggar, Datuk Mustapha Sakmud, said he is aware of public concerns but confirmed that monitoring shows rice stocks across the state are adequate.

“I have obtained detailed updates from the Sabah office of Padiberas Nasional Berhad (BERNAS) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security regarding current rice reserves.

“I also visited storage warehouses to assess the supply firsthand, and our monitoring confirms that stocks are sufficient for Kota Kinabalu and the rest of Sabah,” he said in a Facebook post today.

He noted that the shortages in some supermarkets were caused by a surge in purchases driven by panic buying rather than an actual supply issue.

“This situation has caused major supermarkets and chain grocery stores to run out of stock faster than usual, while traditional markets and smaller shops continue to have sufficient supplies. 

“I urge the public to avoid panic buying and instead adopt prudent, needs-based grocery shopping,” he added.

He also stressed that the MADANI Government remains committed to safeguarding the nation’s food security through coordinated monitoring by relevant ministries.

“Regular, integrated monitoring will be intensified across ministries, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living, to ensure public welfare remains protected despite global uncertainties and the energy crisis,” he concluded.

-- BERNAMA