KEPALA BATAS: The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry will discuss with several ministries regarding a proposal to create only one single grade for white rice that would no longer be required to be labelled as local rice or imported rice, as is the current practice.
Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said the discussions would be conducted comprehensively, including the issue of wanting to coordinate matters related to rice in the future.
"We will hold a discussion with the Coalition of Rice Millers Malaysia, who proposed the matter. Additionally, we will also hold discussions with several other ministries including the Economy Ministry, the Finance Ministry and the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry.
"At least four ministries will be involved in the discussion to harmonise rice issues in the future.
"We can accept the proposal and we can also reject it. As such, further discussions need to be carried out first," he said last night.
The Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) president was met after launching the Kepala Batas Amanah annual meeting at Dewan Datuk Haji Ismail Che' Chik in Penaga here.
He was asked to comment on a call by the Coalition of Rice Millers Malaysia for the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry to come up with a single grade for white rice regardless of locally produced or imported grains.
Its chairman Marzukhi Othman said the move was necessary to curb manipulation at the wholesalers level by packaging locally produced white rice as imported rice.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, Mohamad reiterated that Amanah would leave it entirely to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim regarding the appointment of a new Domestic Trade and Cost of Living minister, which was left vacant following the death of the late Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub.
"It is the prerogative of the prime minister to decide on his cabinet members," he added.
Mohamad said Amanah had submitted the name of the ministerial candidates to Anwar.
When asked about the number of names submitted, he jokingly said that he had submitted the names of all 200,000 party members.