KOTA KINABALU: Malaysia’s food supply remains stable despite higher operational and logistics costs driven by the global energy crisis, according to Deputy Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Chan Foong Hin.
Chan said disruptions in the international energy supply chain, particularly involving diesel, are pushing up transportation and distribution costs and contributing to higher prices of goods, including food.
He said Malaysia currently has rice reserves sufficient for up to six months, with plans to increase this to nine months. Rice supply in Sabah relies on imports from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Thailand, which he noted are not directly affected by the conflict in the Middle East.
Chan attributed temporary shortages of certain rice types to panic buying, saying this can cause subsidised imported white rice to sell out quickly, even though overall supply is adequate.
He added that diesel subsidy controls are being implemented to manage government spending and that Malaysia’s fuel situation is comparatively more stable than in some neighbouring countries.
The government is introducing measures to maintain long-term stability in food and energy supplies.
