RICE

RICE, I am not talking about someone in USA but our staple food.

Remember the days when kids were told to be seen & not heard?
I remember those days when adults sat together to have their opinions expressed and we just sat around and listen, generally ignored, when we budded in and accordingly reprimanded to keep quiet, though we hardly knew why.
As we grew into our teens, their argument seemed far fetch, to a point of being ridiculous, yet we were still considered immature and our opinions were dismissed unceremoniously, without an attempt to let us know why.
This led to loss of communication with our seniors, right into our adulthood and perhaps that is how a generation gap is created.

It is funny how events of the past unfurled and now we are told by leaders of the day that unavoidably essential items are to increase, drawing examples from the world and neighbouring countries.
Malaysia is unique, we have a fast maturing population and sweeping statements can now be dismissed as rubbish. The politicians of the day better realise this and fast.

RICE, as a build-up, murmurs are in the background that government may have to increase its price.
Is it necessary for such talk or is it just a side-track on more important issues looming in the horizon.
Triumphant at last, due to diligent management of the government, we are able to maintain the price of staple food, rice. This is what we will hear at the end of the day.

The international price of rice, as reported, had gone up 3 times since the beginning of this year to USD1200 (RM3840, 1USD @ RM3.20), meaning previously at RM1400 (USD400, 1USD @ RM3.50) or maybe lower.

Prices of local retail: (just a rough analysis)
Local rice, 15 to 5% broken: Range from RM1500 to 1900 per m-ton
Local &Imported, fragrant, super grain: Range from RM2500 to 3800 per m-ton

Looking at these figures, I am still blank if the government needs to subsidise but they definitely had surplus in the past.
The prices of our rice had always been higher compare to international prices, maybe until recently.
Where had all the differences gone to, all the years.

Malaysians of today know how to live and let live, be compromising to fellow citizens, so be transparent.
We know that we need to subsidise the farmers, to have better equity in our nation’s wealth, besides it is also a strategic crop.
There is no need to hide, as if you are doing something shameful. This, I think has always being the problem with our law-makers, they think their fellow citizens are stupid or what.

With all the obscurities, how can we believe the law-makers anymore, especially its leader.
Being controlled item, why can’t the consumers have a breakdown on its price structure just like for the car industries, unless there is really something to hide and for us to find out.