Rice Dumping Exposes Widespread Food Wastage in Malaysia

The statistics from the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation reveal that Malaysians discard approximately 39,078 tonnes of solid waste daily with food constituting the largest portion at 30.6%. 

 

This problem escalates during festive seasons in Malaysia, where cultural celebrations lead to increased food waste due to excessive preparation and consumer buying patterns.

 

Lately, we saw the disposal of rice, flour and other products by a politician who has taken responsibility for the act after photos and videos of the dumping of the food products went viral on social media. This has led the Consumer Association of Kedah to describe the dumping of rice and other essential items in Temerloh, Pahang as an act of betrayal to the people, in particular the needy. 

 

Their president Yusrizal Yusoff lamented the action as a “really serious wastage” and called for the relevant authorities to carry out thorough probes into the incident. 

 

Following media reports, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu instructed the Temerloh Padi and Rice Supervision Office (KPB) to conduct an investigation. 

 

Following that, the former deputy home minister Ismail Mohamed Said (right) admitted to having disposed of the rice and other food items at the illegal dump site. 

 

Ismail, in a statement, said the items were from a stockpile he had prepared for his constituents when he was the Kuala Krau MP, but that they were no longer fit for public consumption. 

 

“I take full responsibility and deeply regret this matter, and I apologise to all parties for the oversight in monitoring the disposal of kitchen goods that went viral on social media yesterday (April 19)”, he added.

 

He was reported as saying that the food items were procured using personal funds before the 15th General Election in 2022, but they were not distributed as it was against election regulations.