Sufficient Rice Supply In Sabah, Consumers Advised Not To Panic

KOTA KINABALU, April 3 (Bernama) -- Rice supply in Sabah is currently sufficient to meet the people's needs and remains under control, said Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Datuk Chan Foong Hin.

In advising consumers not to panic and to spend prudently, he said that the panic buying that occurred was not due to the shortage of supply, but rather the dissemination of unverified information.

"Spreading such rumours not only confuses the public, but can also disrupt market stability,” he said in a statement today.

Chan said he had held a meeting with Sabah Padiberas Nasional Berhad (BERNAS) operations chief Hervian Kirman and Sabah Padi and Rice Regulatory deputy director Rosman Shamsul to get the latest updates on the supply of basic food items in the state. 

Chan said BERNAS assured that rice supply in Sabah is adequate to meet current needs, and that the state government is intensifying monitoring across the entire distribution chain to safeguard food security.

He urged the public to remain calm, spend wisely and obtain information from official channels to avoid any confusion.

"As such, the public is advised not to engage in excessive purchasing or hoarding, as this can affect market stability or disrupt access for other consumers,” he said.

-- BERNAMA