SHAH ALAM - The National Action Council on Cost of Living (NACCOL) meetings are only relevant on a weekly basis if they are conducted at the cluster level and involve comprehensive engagement with all stakeholders at all levels nationwide.
Former agriculture and agro-based industry deputy minister Sim Tze Tzin said however, he did not see the suitability of NACCOL at the central level chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to undergo a weekly meeting process compared to the original need to convene at least six times a year.
"I think weekly NACCOL meetings are more relevant to be held at the Cluster Task Force Committee level alone.
"I believe what Datuk Syed (NACCOL (food cluster) chairman Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal) meant was having meetings within the specific clusters. If that's the case, I agree with the idea that these clusters should conduct meetings on the ground to engage with all stakeholders, especially farmers including those in Sabah and Sarawak," he said.
He said this in response to whether there was a need for NACCOL to manage weekly meetings to determine new policies or initiatives to address the government's efforts in handling the cost of living for the people.
This follows Syed's disclosure that Anwar requested NACCOL to convene weekly meetings until March 20 to find solutions to rice issues.
The main NACCOL chaired by the Prime Minister and consisted of ministers, the Chief Secretary to the Government, the Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia, the Attorney-General, academics, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), association representatives and industry representatives who were experts in their respective fields, usually met at least six times a year based on issues and needs.
There are seven clusters under NACCOL namely the Housing, Education, Transport, Utilities, Health, Food and Income.
The Cluster Task Force Committee meetings chaired by the Chief Secretary of the Ministry were held at least four times a year.
Commenting further, Sim said NACCOL under the Food Cluster Task Force Committee was currently grappling with a challenging responsibility. They must strike a delicate balance between meeting the public's desire for affordable rice and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the farming community.
The Bayan Baru MP said this was because the controlled price of local rice at RM2.60 per kilogramme has not been raised for the past 15 years.
"With the increasing operating costs of paddy cultivation and rice production from the top of the production chain to the bottom, farmers, manufacturers and wholesalers need an increase in the price of local rice to RM3.40 per kilogramme to breathe again.
"When the price of local rice remains the same, rice shortages occur, plus the price of imported rice will increase.
"This is the real dilemma faced by the Prime Minister and I sympathise with the government's fate. The people still want cheap rice, but farmers are no longer able to bear the burden of losses," he said.
Therefore, Sim said he believed that NACCOL was now facing a dilemma whether to gradually increase the price of local rice or to adopt the government's strategy of floating the price of chicken at a reasonable fixed rate.
However, he rejected any suggestion for the government to channel additional subsidies to control the increase in the price of local rice.
"That move will actually cause rice wastage to neighbouring countries or foreigners will benefit from it.
"In addition, the strategy of controlling rice prices is also likely to encourage the emergence of rice cartels involved in misappropriating rice sales by changing the label of local white rice to imported white rice.
"My suggestion is for the government to emulate the strategy of floating chicken prices implemented last year. Now chicken supplies are no longer scarce and prices have also returned to reasonable levels following the balance of chicken supply and demand," he said.