Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek has been urged to lodge a police report into alleged abuse of the ST15 rice subsidy programme as reported by the auditor-general.

Alor Setar MP Gooi Hsiao Leung said this would allow a full-fledged investigation into the case.

"I also urge the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to probe immediately the auditor-general’s revelation of the minister’s special quota to determine if there had been any elements of corrupt practices and abuse of power," Gooi said in a statement today.

He was referring to alleged abused of power identified in the audit during Ismail Sabri Yaakob's time as agriculture and agro-based industries minister.

In the third audit report for 2014, it was found that the quota to supply ST15 rice at the time was still given to wholesalers with expired licences and that a special monthly quota allocation was given without going through the selection process.

The audit also found that wholesalers who received the quota did not actually carry out wholesaling activities and that the quotas distributed were not in accordance with their capabilities to distribute the rice.

Aside from problems with the supply of subsidised rice, it was also revealed there were instances where the price of subsidised rice was higher than the controlled price in Sarawak.

“The auditor-general’s finding of the minister’s special quota is evidence of serious abuse of power and misconduct at the highest level, which is smack of corrupt practices and must be addressed immediately," Gooi said.

The ST15 programme was introduced in 2009 under Noh Omar, and was continued when Ismail Sabri took over the Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Ministry in 2013.

Ahmad Shabery, who became the new minister after a cabinet reshuffle in July, has scrapped the rice subsidies.