I refer to the Malaysiakini report Insulated fish box issue settled: Noh . Here are some facts about these new insulated fish boxes.

1. Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Noh Omar said ‘ the issue is settled, with fish importers agreeing to abide by the ruling,’ The fish importers did not agree on anything. They were instructed (or obliged) to attend the briefing, that’s all ( and I don't think it was a ‘meeting’ per se ).

2. Noh was furious because the fish importers boycotted the implementation of these insulated fish boxes. Why should they boycott? If they do they will incur losses of hundred of thousands of ringgit and worse still, the seafood they already bought would be stuck and left to rot in Thailand, Indonesia and in other countries.

3. There wasn't any ‘boycott’ when the government implemented the compulsory wearing of safety helmets for motorcyclists and safety belt for vehicles because the ‘rakyat’ were given ample time and could buy any brand so long as it is was approved by Sirim.

4. So what is so difficult about this insulated fish box? Why must every importer buy it from KF Sdn Bhd. Who are they? Are they having a factory manufacturing these boxes? Why must a Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority (LKIM) director be allegedly made a director of the company?

It is very obvious that there is a conflict of interest. Where is the MACC? Why no action? How about the size of the box? Will it fit nicely into the transportation trucks? (If it doesn't, the boxes will be rolling and hitting each other as the truck moves).

Noh should state clearly the specifications of the box and allow everyone who is capable of producing them to produce them as long as they are certified by Sirim. There will be a lot of innovation for better and more practical boxes and the price will definitely be lower than the one specified by KF Sdn Bhd.

There is no need to make any ‘pengarah’ a director and the government can save millions of ringgit on the subsidy for the boxes.

5. The government has already spent millions for these subsidised new fish boxes but how is the money being disbursed? By paying one huge lump sum to KF Sdn Bhd? Or are they paying according to the total number of boxes sold? How to account for it?

6. Many importers still have a large stock of ordinary fish boxes and are now forced to discard them and buy from a monopoly company. They will definitely increase the price of the fish to recover their losses so at the end of day, a few millionaires are created at the expense of the poor ‘rakyat’ from all races.

7. Some people are good at playing with words and situations. They squander a big sum of money from the poor ‘rakyat’ giving the excuse of ‘subsidy’ and yet they can twist the facts and make the public believe that the importers are the ‘bad guys’ by launching a supposed boycott.

8. Singapore is many times more stricter in the quality of its food especially seafood. but they didn't make a fuss over insulated fish boxes.. Simply because if your fish is fresh, people are willing to pay a higher price and if it isn’t they won't even want to buy it. Even if it is cheap.

So if you are a importer, would you like to keep you fish fresh? Would you resist a better quality insulated box sold competitively by a non-monopoly company which would not increase the price in time to come because they are the only ones making these boxes?

A government is usually set up with the aim of smoothening the running of business and helping businessmen to increase their efficiency and profit. But in this new insulated fish box case, who do you think will get the sole benefit?

9. Noh claims that there is a microchip embedded in the box. Wow, that is high-tech. But what is the use of it? Will the chip be able to tell whether the box contains fish, prawns or other things such as weapons (weapons have been known to have been smuggled in with previous wodden fish boxes fastened with iron nails)?

If Noh insists on using microchips, then give all the box manufacturer numbers similar to the ISBN registration numbers on the front pages of all our books. Beware for someone may be making use of race or religion to distort and divert attention from the facts.