Pahang Exco Beras Makmur Still Under Rahmah Initiative Just Rebranded

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Pahang Consumer Affairs and Human Resources exco Sim Choon Siang says that Beras Makmur launched by the state government last month is merely a rebrand of local rice sold during the Jualan Rahmah programme.
“It’s like this, at the ministry level - the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry - there is a Rahmah Sales programme and it is called Beras Rahmah.
“At the Pahang state level, we called it Jualan Rahmah Makmur (and the rice sold) was Beras Makmur. That’s the only difference.
“In terms of price, we are not the ones who control it, but the Padi and Rice Regulatory Board does,” he told Malaysiakini when met in Kuantan today.
Sim added that Beras Makmur should not have been made an issue as all rice sold under the Rahmah programmes - nationwide and in the state - are subsidised.
He was responding to Pahang PAS deputy commissioner Andansura Rabu who claimed earlier that Beras Makmur was no longer available in stores.
Beras Makmur was launched by Pahang Menteri Besar Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail on Oct 5, two days before polling for the Pelangai by-election.
At the time, Wan Rosdy said the state government had subsidised RM11 per packet for 5,000 10kg Beras Makmur.
Andansura’s claim
Andansura questioned the status of rice subsidised by the BN-led state government, claiming that the 10kg packets were last seen sold on shelves during the Pelangai by-election.
Andansura also said six hypermarkets in Balok and Beserah have run out of local rice and the shortage has worsened over the last few months.
In response, Sim said Andansura could contact him if he wanted to hold his own Rahmah sales in affected constituencies.
Pahang PAS deputy commissioner Andansura Rabu“I have mentioned in the state legislative assembly that any assemblyperson who wants the Rahmah Sale programme to be held in their area can contact me directly.
“If Andansura wants to do Jualan Rahmah in Beserah or anywhere in the Beserah area, talk to me, and we can arrange it," he added.
Sim, who is the Teruntum assemblyperson, said local rice supply could be purchased by the public during the Madani agro sales, or buyers may go directly to their nearby Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority offices.
"They sell local rice there. Don't go and look at the supermarket because in the supermarket we (the state government) can't control what kind of rice they want to sell," he said. - Mkini

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