Rafizi rubbishes PAS leader's claim of people dying from local rice shortage

Rafizi rubbishes PAS leader's claim of people dying from local rice shortage


Published: Aug 29, 2024 1:00 PM



Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli has rubbished a PAS leader’s allegation that people are dying of hunger because there isn’t any local rice available.

He said such allegations are either overboard or lacking in intelligence.

“At a time when efforts to eradicate hardcore poverty are continuing even better than what Perikatan Nasional did, making accusations that people are dying of hunger because there is no rice is either overboard or lacking in intelligence,” he said on X and Facebook.

He also urged the PAS leader - Malacca women’s wing information chief Hawa Yaakub - to email him if she has a list of Malaysians who needed immediate help so that they don’t die of starvation.

He was responding to Hawa’s post on X claiming that under the Madani government, local rice supply had “disappeared”, causing people to die from hunger.

She said this is unlike the movement control order (MCO) era - referring to Muhyiddin Yassin’s administration - where local rice was available and nobody died of hunger.

Deaths from starvation?

Hawa was commenting on the deaths of a man in his 70s and his son in his 40s who had learning disabilities in Sungai Abong, Johor.

The two were found dead on Friday, while the senior citizen’s daughter - who also has learning disabilities and is in her 40s - was found to be in a weakened state due to starvation.

Kosmo’s report on the incident claimed in the headline that the deaths were believed to be due to starvation as well but this has not yet been corroborated and authorities have not yet reported the cause of death.

The family - which had no source of income - had been receiving regular help from a local NGO, according to news reports.

The supply of local rice - which is cheaper than imported white rice - has not been keeping up with demand over the past year.

During the MCO, while there was no reported shortage of white rice, there were numerous reported cases of households running out of food.

This gave rise to the “white flag” campaign, in which those in desperate situations put up white flags outside their homes to signal to others that they needed help.

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‘I look effortlessly stylish’: Muslimat PAS leader leans fully into criticism of her Louis Vuitton bag

A general view of the Louis Vuitton store at the Exchange TRX in Kuala Lumpur. — Picture courtesy of Louis Vuitton

Friday, 30 Aug 2024 4:19 PM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 30 — Melaka PAS Muslimat information chief Hawa Yaakub today embraced criticism of her for owning a luxury Louis Vuitton handbag juxtaposed against her previous claims that Malaysians were starving from a supposed rice shortage.

Rather than defend her use of the Italian brand’s products, Hawa accused political rivals of using it to deflect criticism against the government.


“I look effortlessly stylish in the pic. Walanons are so funny. How many more YEARS do you want to answer EVERY issue with LV?” she wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Hawa Yaakub 

@YaakubHawa

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I look effortlessly stylish in the pic. Walanons are so funny. How many more YEARS do you want to answer EVERY issue with LV? - Diesel price hike - LV - People dying of hunger - LV - Local rice shortage - LV - Blackrock - LV - Afterparty - LV - Tiger beer - LV

1:17 AM · Aug 30, 2024

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On Tuesday, she claimed people were “dying of hunger” due to a rice shortage “Madani era local rice”.

She also doubled down on her claim after Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli mocked her for the claim.