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COMMENT The Malay Economic Action Council (MTEM) and Malay Rice Millers Association Malaysia (PPBMM) consider the proposal to temporarily suspend the (Super Tempatan) ST15 Rice Subsidy Programme as inappropriate and want the move to be reviewed.

The programme, which began in 2008, is aimed at helping more than three million low-income households to obtain rice at a cheaper price. The government allocates RM528 million each year, through the Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Ministry, as payment to Bernas for the subsidy programme.

The government has also provided supplies of 15 percent broken rice subsidy (ST15), totalling 40,000 tonnes per month, for Peninsular Malaysia, while Sabah and Sarawak are allocated 20,000 tonnes.

In our view, recommendations made by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairperson Nur Jazlan Mohamed to temporarily suspend the ST15 programme will not solve the problem, and may even negatively affect millions of consumers and more than 15,000 retailers because the real issue has yet to be addressed with much success...

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