Rice Crisis: Picking on the smaller boys

The recent issue of a Melaka State Exco member venting his anger on a local rice miller has caused a debate on whether we should protect the millers or the rakyat?

My take is simple, our concern is the rakyat which includes the small medium industry players, in order that our local rice industry stays sustainable and to keep the industry alive.

It is mischievous to pick on the big towkays and play to the gallery “demi rakyat” (for the people).

In fact, the purportedly big towkays who were picked upon are in all reality the small medium industry players. Arm twisting or threatening them would kill them off if their business is not sustainable.

It is these small medium industries which contribute to our economy productively. By suffocating them or killing them off at this crucial economic time will be bad in particular to the rice producers and in general to the rakyat as a whole.

The mantra of using these genuine traders as punching bags has been used by politicians for decades and successfully at that.

Some of these politicians who are in power and surrounded by the real big towkays or their proxies, expose more loopholes and issues arising from administrative decisions and policies that may actually be friendly to syndicated players or the big boys but not to small medium traders or the consumers.

We are facing a rice supply shortage in the market. It is easy to pick on the smaller boys and harass them in the name of “demi rakyat” but the real issues faced are not actually that simple.

Firstly, millers are not the big boys. Secondly enforcers or enforcement officers may not always act in the interest of the industry, or their actions may not be entirely an altruistic act.

Over my years as a political worker in my position as state assemblyman, Senator and Deputy Minister I have seen how the game has been played. Many deemed enforcements as a camouflaged form of harassment and sometimes extortionary in nature.

You pay for the umbrella and you will be protected from the rain!

Operators were forced to “kaotim” or settle the matter with enforcement officers or buy peace in order to have a peace of mind or to remain undisturbed. Unfortunately, most traders do not stand up or fight these authorities as it will eventually hurt them even more.

As the maxim goes: When you can’t beat them, join them!

I must expressly say here that I am not implying that this is the case in all instances.

In the case of Umno Youth Chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh – who is also the Merlimau assemblyman and a Melaka state executive councillor – I must applaud him for his enthusiasm in going to the ground and trying to stop the rice shortage and by taking over the enforcement role.

Nonetheless, my only reservation is his brutish behaviour and manner.

Umno’s uncouth type of behaviour or words will turn away more Chinese votes as many of these Chinese small industries and entrepreneurs have had bad experiences of falling victims to little Napoleons who are there to extort or seek protection money under the guise of enforcements.

These industry players and their community will then turn resentful towards Umno especially when they watch Akmal in action which will rekindle their past bad encounters.

I am not saying that it reflects Umno but unfortunately over the many years of rule, there had been many instances where individuals exploit their positions when in proximity to the corridors of powers or the authorities by bullying or threatening these small medium industry players.

The real big towkays may be let off or shielded through the pseudonym of protectionism.

Returning to the issue of rice shortage, Mydin Mohamed Holdings Bhd managing director Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin has called upon the government to increase the ceiling price for local white rice from RM26 to RM34 per 10kg to address the shortage of supply.

He has raised his concern that local millers were being discouraged from producing rice due to its low ceiling price of RM26 per 10 kg.

Another field of concern is the higher price of imported rice at about RM38 per 10 kg as compared to the local price of RM26. This price disparity will lead to abuse whereby syndicates or profiteers known to have packaged local rice and selling them off as imported rice all at a higher price thus making a bigger profit margin.

When it is voluminous with big money involvement, the big boys will dance to the big towkays too.

But not the little millers who are mostly honest small entrepreneurs who are facing daily pressure of trying to make enough to repay bank loans and interests, the operational cost and the worker’s salaries.

So, why the necessity to pick on them as a political drama and create more prejudices thus raising further conflict against these little towkays.

The issue is not about fighting for the rakyat or for the big towkays. The issue is our policies should be real, simple and able to solve our problem.

Killing off the small rice millers who have been genuine industry players or contributors or by taking away their licenses to give to the unknown or to the connected big bosses, will not solve our problems.

In reality, it will actually cause more damage and destroy our genuine industry players if they are unable to sustain their operational cost.

It is easy to pick on these small boys than the actual big towkays who may be reaping bigger profits or profiteering from loopholes in the system.

Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker is MCA former vice-president and former Deputy Youth and Sports Minister.

The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of Sinar Daily.