He said by removing APs, a free market environment could thrive and it will ultimately benefit consumers.

Commenting on efforts to improve the governance of APs and import permits (IPs) as announced by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim recently, Ameer said that many businesses now face difficulties with bringing in certain goods.

On the contrary, he said that everyone will be able to buy goods at lower prices once a free market environment is established when APs are reduced or abolished for certain goods, especially foodstuff.

“The existence of permits means that only a select few can bring in goods.

“For example, sugar requires an AP and government approval to be imported. Whether one gets it or not is a different story. There is no transparency,” he told FMT.

“It is the same for rice. We now sell 10kg of imported rice at RM42, but in Thailand it is only RM34. But I cannot bring it in. If I could bring in Thai rice, I could sell it at that price as well.”

Ameer said that this would make the local market more competitive.

Last Monday, Anwar revealed that a meeting of the National Economic Action Council (NEAC) had discussed efforts to improve the governance of APs and IPs via a formula that would benefit both consumers and local producers and ensure national food security.

Meanwhile, Fatimah Arshad, an agriculture expert from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), said that APs are not an ideal long-term measure to ensure food security, as permit holders are usually well connected.

She said that Malaysia should be working to improve the agriculture sector and increase food supplies, taking a cue from India, which she said has become the world’s biggest rice exporter in the past 10 years without relying on government agencies.

“In Malaysia, all allocations are centred on a single agency, slowing down action and leading to management issues and high costs every year,” she said.