KUALA LUMPUR: The Control of Paddy and Rice Act 1994 (Act 522) will be amended to boost enforcement against those who rebrand locally produced rice as imported rice, says Agriculture and Food Security Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu.
Mohamad said action can be taken against millers, wholesalers and retailers caught undertaking such activities in the future, while admitting current provisions under the Act are still insufficient to address the issue effectively.
“We will move forward to the second phase where there will be comprehensive enforcement, including amending the Act.
“The current Act is too lax, which allowed the mixing of local and imported rice to happen,” he said when winding-up his ministerial briefing at the Dewan Rakyat here on Thursday (Feb 13).
“That will be reviewed by the parties who oversee the legal aspect. There is a need for amendments so we can move to the second phase and then we can better protect the farmers and their interests,” he added.
Previously, Hassan Karim (PH-Pasir Gudang) has suggested that the act of mixing local and imported rice should be made a criminal offence.
Earlier at Parliament, Mohamad during a ministerial briefing, announced the first phase of measures to address the shortage of locally produced rice.
Among the measures were the adjustment of the padi floor price paid to farmers from RM1,300 to RM1,500 per tonne effective Feb 16.
