TELUPID: Sabah has capped rice purchases at two bags per person to curb panic buying, Agriculture Minister Datuk Jamawi Jaafar said, despite sufficient stock.
He ordered wholesalers to release all existing supplies, including 3,000 tonnes in Bernas warehouses, and warned that hoarding could incur fines of RM50,000 or jail.
Sabah aims to maintain six months of rice reserves, raising monthly supply from 20,000 to 35,000 tonnes to stabilise the market.
