PETALING JAYA: Checks by the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry on the rice and other food at a dump site in Kuala Krau in Temerloh, Pahang, found that it was unfit for consumption.
As such, the ministry urged all parties not to speculate on the issue, which is still being investigated under the Control of Padi and Rice Act 1994.
“After the items were discovered, the ministry launched an investigation. Officers from the Temerloh Padi and Rice Supervision Office were sent to the area near Rumpun Makmur, Kampung Gunung Senyum.
"Based on preliminary investigations, (the officers) established that the rice was spoiled and unfit for consumption,” the ministry said in a statement on Friday (April 19).
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It said all activities involving the disposal of rice should be referred to the Padi and Rice Supervision Office.
The ministry also said any further information or complaints on the issue should be submitted via the Padi and Rice Supervision Office or directly to the ministry.
Channels include the Office portal https://skpb.kpkm.gov.my/adu, email aduankpb@kpkm.gov.my or the ministry's Putrajaya HQ hotline at 03-88701751/1748/1183.
Images of dumped bags of rice and flour as well as tins of sardines at the site went viral on social media on Thursday (April 18).
Following the discovery, former Kuala Krau MP Datuk Seri Ismail Mohamed Said came forward to take responsibility for the disposal of the food items.
The former deputy home minister said he bought the items for his constituents but they ended up in storage.
He stressed in a statement that the purchase did not involve any state or Federal funds, nor did he use any flood relief or Covid-19 pandemic allocations.
The stored food was contaminated by rodents and weevils, he said, adding that a neighbour alerted him to a foul smell coming from the storage area earlier this month.
