MIRI – A Sarawak native rights group is seeking elected representatives’ assurance that the over one million rural population in the state will get adequate supplies of government-subsidised white rice.
The Society for Rights of Indigenous Peoples of Sarawak (Scrips) added that the rice must be priced not more than RM31 per 10kg bag, as specified.
Scrips’ northern Sarawak ground coordinator Michael Ding said MPs and state assembly representatives must shoulder this duty, and not the government ministries.
He said today that his society’s members had found that the government-subsidised white rice, priced at RM31 per 10kg bag, is running out of stock already in the rural bazaars and trading outposts.
“All the YBs (elected reps) must make sure we rural folk get enough of the white rice at the price subsidised by the government.
“That price of RM31 per 10kg bag is already very expensive, as it is an increase of about RM5 from the previous market price.
“Even so, I found that the subsidised white rice costing RM31 per 10 kg bag is already being snapped up.
“Very soon, the stock will run out,” he said to The Vibes.
Ding said that the reps need to act fast. Their service centres must liaise with the relevant ministry at both state and federal levels to beef up the stocks in their respective constituencies.
“These politicians must be proactive. Do not leave the task entirely to the ministry people,” he said.
Ding, who is from upper Baram district in northern Sarawak, said essential items often run out of stock quickly in the rural shops.
Transportation subsidy needed
The Vibes earlier reported that native rights activists and ordinary folk had expressed anger over the shocking increase in on-the-ground prices of government-subsidised white rice in various parts of Sarawak.
Though the government had set the price at RM31 per 10kg bag to be sold to public consumers, the actual prices on the ground have been found to be much higher.
Some are as high as RM68 per 10 kg bag in rural Belaga district and up to RM42 per 10kg bag in Miri city in northern Sarawak.
He said that he had found government-subsidised white rice being sold at RM68 per 10kg bag in Belaga.
He added that sellers were claiming that the high prices are due to transportation costs.
“What happened to the transportation subsidy that the government was supposed to be paying to transporters?” he asked.
In Miri, which is some 400km from Belaga, the price of govt-subsidised rice is between RM40 to RM42 per 10 kg bag.
A housewife, Pauline Julia, told The Vibes that retail shops are selling at that rate.
“The actual price in the market in Miri is not RM31 per 10kg bag as mentioned by government leaders.
“It is actually between RM40 to RM42 per 10kg bag,” she said.
According to Julia, many traders in Miri are saying that the rice that the government fixed at RM31 per 10kg bag is sold out in Miri.
“They said the ones still available for sale are more expensive. Is that true?” she asked.
The Vibes today did ground checks and found that some supermarkets still have stocks of the RM31 type, even though many retail shops are selling more expensive brands. – The Vibes, October 7, 2023
