I Ll Keep Working Mat Sabu On Super Stupid Rice Caricature

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Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu appears to have taken a satirical artwork in stride, which seemed to criticise the minister’s handling of local rice supply.
Graphic artist Fahmi Reza posted a caricature of a sheepishly smiling Mohamad on a packet of rice, with the branding reading: “Beras Spesial Super Stupid”.
Fahmi also labelled the packet as a mix of imported and local rice, in apparent reference to how it was recently reported that the practice of local and imported rice mixing can be traced back to the 1970s.
The image also included a “Kartel Beras” logo as well as an RM84.81 price tag.
A tagline at the bottom referenced how Mohamad previously said that a study conducted by the Malaysia Competition Commission (MyCC) showed that one of the reasons behind the mixing was to cater to consumers’ preferences.
In response to the graphic uploaded on Fahmi’s social media platforms yesterday, Mohamad thanked the creator for his work.
In a comment replying to Fahmi’s post on Facebook, the minister also said he will continue to strive for large-scale reforms for the paddy and rice industry.
He also vowed to ensure that the local rice supply can meet targets, adding: “Please pray (for the success of such goals)”.
The artwork has garnered over 10,000 reactions and 1,900 comments on Facebook.
Last week, it was reported that a study by the Biotechnology and Nanotechnology Research Centre of the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) found about half of 5,000 imported rice samples that authorities seized were mixed with local white rice.
The study period was from the end of 2023 to March 2024, when the ministry created a Special Task Force for Integrated Operations of Local White Rice to identify the local white rice chain.
On Oct 9, Mohamad said the government would introduce regulations prohibiting the mixture of local white rice with imported white rice, which is one of the main strategies to resolve the issue of local white rice shortage. - Mkini

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