Refer any rice disposal to monitoring body, says Mat Sabu

Former Kuala Krau MP Ismail Said said the rice and other food items were stockpiled for his constituents but were no longer fit for consumption. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: A monitoring body under the agriculture and food security ministry must be referred to before any rice is disposed of, its minister, Mohamad Sabu, said after bags of rice were dumped at a waste disposal site in Pahang.

Mohamad, better known as Mat Sabu, also said the Kawalselia Padi dan Beras branch in Temerloh found that the bags of rice and other food items were damaged and unsafe for consumption.

“We urge all parties to refrain from speculating on this matter as it is still under investigation under the Control of Padi and Rice Act 1994 (Act 522),” he said in a statement.

The law deals with the destruction of padi or rice.

Earlier today, former deputy home minister Ismail Said admitted to disposing of rice and other food items after pictures of the sacks of rice, sardine cans and flour dumped at the waste disposal site made their rounds on social media.

Ismail said the items originated from a stockpile he had assembled for his constituents when he was the Kuala Krau MP. However, he said, they were no longer safe for consumption.

He said he will take full responsibility, and apologised to all parties for the oversight in monitoring the disposal of these items.

The former deputy Dewan Rakyat speaker also said the acquisition of the kitchen items did not involve allocations from either the federal or Pahang government.