Covid-19: Malaysia has sufficient supply of food and necessities, says minister

SERIAN, May 27 — Malaysia has sufficient supply of basic food and necessities to last during the current Covid-19 pandemic period, said Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi.

He said the KPDNHEP, together with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry and the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, was always prepared for any possibility in terms of food assurance despite the ongoing pandemic.

“Not only in terms of stock, but we (in KPDNHEP) will also ensure they are in good condition and we have adequate resources. We are aware of the current situation in countries where we import food from, such as India that supplies meat.

“The same with rice supply. For example, when Vietnam was unable to export rice to Malaysia, we identified other sources,” he told a press conference after a walkabout at the Serian wet market here today.

He said the KPDNHEP was compiling and identifying strategies to ensure adequate supply, thus, the people did not have to worry, even during festive seasons.

Meanwhile, he said that in conjunction with the Hari Raya and Hari Gawai in Sarawak, the ministry has added 11 items under the Festive Season Maximum Price Control Scheme (SHMMP) 2.0, bringing the total number of controlled items to 20 for Hari Raya and 22 items for Hari Gawai.

The prices for the 11 items are effective for 13 days from May 22 to June 3. — Bernama