Kota Kinabalu: Parti Warisan Vice President Datuk Junz Wong questioned the State Government on its move to address the rising costs of living in Sabah and the higher price of rice.
“As the government of the day, how will the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) State Government cushion this latest price increase to safeguard the welfare of Sabahans?
“How will people cope with the rising price of rice?
“By allowing a 10 per cent withdrawal from their hard earned EPF savings? Buying a great deal of stock like what the Philippines did? Or copying Singapore by locking prices?” he said in a statement, Tuesday.
SPONSORED CONTENT Daily Express members: Enjoy 1 for 1 signature cocktails and more at Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu Kota Kinabalu: DAILY EXPRESS is partnering with Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu to offer an exclusive deal for our members. Read more The Tg Aru Assemblyman said measures can be implemented in Sabah but it would involve buying as much stock as possible, based on the assumption that prices will continue to rise in the future.
“Alternately, locking the price of rice imported from India at the lowest rate could ensure there is a constant supply based on that agreed price over a period of time.
“If that is the case, then it should have been done earlier when there were already warning signs of a global shortage for rice,” he said.
Junz stressed that the world supply shortage for rice for the year 2022-23 is estimated to be 8.7 million tonnes.
He suggested that Sabah’s crude palm oil (CPO) could be ideal as a commodity trade-off for India’s rice, as CPO is in high demand in India.
“India is a country that is grappling to produce butter for its 1.4 billion people and the CPO which can be manufactured into margarine is a good alternative.
“Furthermore, the trade-off doesn’t have to be for a very long time as four to five months should suffice.
“Even Singapore locked the price of rice with India not long after Warisan issued a second warning on a price increase for rice,” he said.
Junz said other Warisan leaders, namely Warisan Deputy President Datuk Darell Leiking and Tungku Assemblyman Assafal Alian had also issued two separate statements in July and August to warn GRS of the worrying problem.
“However, GRS mistakenly opted for the reactive stance instead of a more practical proactive action,” he said.
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