Association assured of rice quota for Feb

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SIBU: The Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industries will allocate 1,630 metric tonnes of rice as the February ration for members of Sibu Rice Wholesalers Association (SRWA).

SRWA chairman Lau Sieh King said Federal Agriculture Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri had verbally promised them that members of SRWA would receive the allocation when they went to see him in Kuala Lumpur recently.

Lau told a press conference yesterday that the latest crisis over rice shortage surfaced “after ‘Kawal Setia Padi dan Beras Nasional’ abruptly reduced the quota of S15 per cent subsidised rice effective Jan 1.”

The quota for S15 per cent subsidised rice for the central region was reduced by 77 per cent from 1,800 metric tonnes to 430 metric tonnes.

The local rice wholesalers, numbering about 37, were unhappy with the quota reduction and had sought help from Bintulu MP Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing.

Tiong arranged for their meeting cum dialogue with the Agriculture Minister in Kuala Lumpur.