Floating the price of imported rice will hurt consumers: Yahya

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is against the price of imported rice being floated as it will lead to indiscriminate price hikes, said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Yahya Hussin.

“This will hurt consumers as about 70 percent of Sabah’s rice requirements is imported,” he told reporters after giving away aid to storm victims at Kampung Contoh near here yesterday.

Yahya, who is also State Agriculture and Food Industries Minister, urged the federal government to find the best mechanism to determine reasonable price levels for rice in the long-term.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had said the govenrment had decided to let the price of imported rice to float, including Thai white rice, aimed at resolving the high price of padi and rice.

“Floating the price of imported rice will leave Sabah consumers with little choice as local rice only makes up 30 percent of the rice in the market,” added Yahya. – Bernama