So sad and discriminating. The Dayak in the interior of Sarawak pay dearer for rice as compared to those rice price in Kuching and other major towns in Sarawak.
Over the years, the Dayak communities has reduce their padi farming and opt to migrate to major towns in search for quick cash. Instead of being padi producers, the Dayak are becoming padi consumers just like other race.
The sorry part is that those Dayak in the longhouses pay more for the rice and the authority including Domestic Trade ministry is not doing anything about it. The Dayak leaders prefer to stay silent on this matter for they thought if they complaint at the federal level, Badawi might brand them as disloyal MPs or ungrateful MPs.
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Source: thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/21/nation/20080521143324&sec=nation (May 21, 2008)
Rice price up by RM1.50 per kg in rural Sarawak
By Stephen Then
MIRI: The price of local rice in some rural villages in Sarawak has shot up by as much as RM1.50 per kg - three times the hike as compared to urban areas.
Although Bernas increased the price of rice by only 50 cents per kg, rice is being sold at RM 1.50 per kg in rural areas like Marudi, about 200km from here.
Rural folk, most of whom are low-income earners lodged complaints with Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) about the unreasonable increase.
SAM's field officer for Sarawak, Jok Jau Evong, said these have to fork out between RM1 to RM1.50 more for one kg of local rice.
Jok said some traders in remote towns and villages were even selling rice at RM3.50 per kg now, compared to the previous price of RM2 per kg.
Traders who source rice supply from cities and towns claim that they have to pay higher transportation costs to ferry the rice to rural destinations.
Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam, said the state government would leave it to Bernas to sort out the price issue.
"The most important thing is to ensure enough supply of rice for all," he said.
Dr Chan, who is State Agriculture Modernisation Minister, said Sarawak had been importing rice to shore up the present stock for the state's 2.5 million people.
The existing supply can last for the next three months at least, he added.
1 comments:
vot bn = turn land to palm oil estate for bn's cronies = rice price hike
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