PETALING JAYA: A special government task force is to conduct chemical analysis of rice samples from warehouses and supermarkets across the country to guard against substitution of rice varieties.
Agriculture and food security minister Mohamad Sabu said the task force would carry out a comprehensive inspection of the rice supply chain.
“The government will take strict action against any party found to be substituting rice, mixing local white rice with imported white rice, or hoarding rice,” he said today when announcing four measures to tackle the rice crisis.
The task force will comprise officials of the padi and rice regulatory agency, the ministry of domestic trade and cost of living, the police, the Customs department, and the department of quarantine and inspection services.
The decision to carry out chemical analysis comes in the wake of a video from a warehouse claiming a substitution of local rice for imported rice.