GEORGE TOWN: Gerakan has urged the government to curb the presence of a rice cartel.
Deputy president Oh Tong Keong said this was to prevent people from eating more expensive rice if the situation worsened.
He said National Action Council on Cost of Living (Naccol) task force (food cluster) chairman Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal had revealed that there was a rice cartel involving four or five companies that controlled the buying and selling of rice, leading to its shortage in the market and increase in prices.
Syed Abu Hussin had said the information was obtained from talks with rice farmers, millers, wholesalers, retailers and consumers.
He said he would present the matter at the Naccol meeting on Wednesday so that the government could take action against the companies.
"Rice is a staple food. The government will lose people's trust if it fails to resolve this issue.
"So we want the government to break the rice monopoly to restore its supply and ensure stable pricing."
Oh said that after the unity government had come into power, people had been experiencing a high cost of living due to increases in electricity, water tariff and other taxes.
"Many sectors are affected, which shows the government's inefficiency."