KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia Competition Commission (MyCC) has completed its investigation report on allegations surrounding cartels in the paddy and rice industry, announced Fuziah Salleh.
"I cannot divulge the details until the report is tabled officially. But the (report) on the paddy and rice cartel has been completed and there is a possibility of wrongdoings on the part of companies that hold a dominant position in terms of controlling seeds supplies, imports and others," the Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living, Fuziah Salleh, stated during question time in the Dewan Rakyat.
She mentioned that action had been previously taken against chicken feed cartels which affected chicken prices.
Last year, MyCC announced that five companies in the chicken feed industry were fined RM415mil for price fixing.
She was responding to a supplementary question by Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim (PN-Arau) concerning the ceiling prices of paddy and rice and its impact on the income of farmers and fishermen.
Regarding the latest status of Menu Rahmah, she highlighted issues with the use of discount cards.
"The discount cards were meant to provide discounts to Menu Rahmah providers so that they can buy the necessities to prepare the Menu Rahmah at a discounted rate," she explained.
"But after a few months, we found some problems because the supermarkets that were offering the discounts had different systems. Hence, the card cannot be used across the board at all supermarkets," she added.
To address this, the government has permitted Menu Rahmah providers to purchase their necessities at Rahmah Sales.
She also mentioned that businesses would be given leeway to purchase items in larger quantities at Rahmah Sales.
