Put Aside Egos And Resolve Rice Crisis Mat Sabu Syed Hussin Told

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Mohamad Sabu and Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal should show that they are working together to resolve the white rice supply crisis, analysts said.
PETALING JAYA: Analysts say that agriculture and food security minister Mohamad Sabu and Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal, who chairs the National Action Council on Cost of Living’s (Naccol) food cluster, should set aside their egos to resolve the rice supply crisis, amid a spat between the two over the shortage of the staple.
Syed Hussin claimed that Mohamad, known as Mat Sabu, had failed to manage the issue, and urged the prime minister to authorise Naccol to handle it instead.
Yesterday, however, Mohamad’s ministry said that issues related to rice and padi should be left to the relevant authorities.
Azmi Hassan, a fellow at the National Council of Professors, said Syed Hussin’s remarks were unnecessary.
He said such comments could scuttle any potential cooperation between the two, and would result in the public getting the short end of the stick.
He also said that Syed Hussin, as chairman of the council, and Mohamad, as a federal minister, should show that they are working together.
“But now it looks as if Syed Hussin acted on his own, without referring to the ministry, while Mat Sabu comes off as being indifferent to the council.
“They need to set aside their egos because if the public does not see any resolution to this issue, it could affect support for the unity government,” he told FMT.
Ariff Aizuddin Azlan of Universiti Teknologi Mara agreed that the two should not be at loggerheads and should instead focus on finding a solution.
He said Syed Hussin should have voiced his discontent through internal channels to avoid raising negative perceptions.
“And Mat Sabu should not have responded but should have instead explained the matter behind closed doors to pacify the Bukit Gantang MP,” he said.
He, too, said that if the spat between the two was not managed well, it could have an effect on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government. - FMT

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