Rafizi defends food stockpile proposal

 

Rafizi Ramli said authorities should create a stockpile of essential supplies, such as cooking oil and grains, to be released into the market when prices rise.

PETALING JAYA: PKR’s incoming deputy president Rafizi Ramli has defended his proposal for a national stockpile to address the food supply shortage.

Last Friday, Rafizi had proposed establishing a national stockpile to prevent a food supply shortage after Umno had called for a national organisation to deal with the chicken shortage.

Rafizi came under fire from Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Supreme Council member Isham Jalil for his proposal, with Zahid saying he could only provide “formulas and not solutions”.

In a rebuttal, Rafizi said Isham had said the food stockpile proposal was not a new idea as the government had already been stockpiling “since last week”.

“Zahid’s comments contradict what Isham said. How can the Umno president claim my proposal was an unfeasible formula when the Umno-led government has already been implementing it?” Rafizi said in a statement.

He said he would continue to offer “formulas” for the people to ensure the authorities had diverse opinions and ideas to resolve issues.

“Zahid should remember that the rakyat rejected Umno’s ideas at the last general election,” said the former Pandan MP.

In making his proposal last Friday, Rafizi said the authorities should create a stockpile of essential supplies, such as cooking oil and grains, to be released into the market when prices rise.

He had also called for the food supply chain to be supervised by one government ministry instead of having 40 ministers showing up for a meeting to determine the price of chicken. - FMT