KUALA LUMPUR – Opposition lawmaker Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin’s (Masjid Tanah-PN) repeated questioning over the supply of essential goods earned her a rebuke from the Dewan Rakyat speaker.
In attempting to answer, Deputy Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Fuziah Salleh said: “YB (Mas Ermieyati) forgot that before GE15 (the 2022 general election), there were no eggs in the market, and the price of cooking oil is now priced at RM25 for 5kg, instead of RM35”.
However, Mas Ermieyati slammed Fuziah for attempting to politicise the issue, instead of giving a direct answer.
“Just answer (the question) directly; there is no need to politicise in Parliament. Before GE15, there were 14 (GE14) and 13 (GE13),” said the Masjid Tanah MP.
Interjecting this was Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul, who reprimanded Mas Ermieyati for not allowing the deputy minister to answer.
“This is not the way; let her answer first, then you can respond,” said Johari.
Mas Ermieyati then responded with: “I know, I know.”
For the record, the country was governed by Perikatan Nasional from 2020 until August 2021, before Barisan Nasional took the helm. The unity government was formed after GE15 in November 2022.
Fuziah then said the subsidy for general purpose wheat flour, worth RM40 million, had been redirected to the Payung Rahmah initiative under Budget 2024.
“For this general-purpose flour, we have set aside the budget, but there have been no claims, as no factory was willing to produce the flour, and there hasn’t been any demand from the public either,” she said during Ministers’ Question Time.
She added that sugar production in 2022 stood at 437,290 tonnes with a total distribution of 430,713 tonnes, compared to the previous year, which recorded sugar production of 489,451 tonnes and distribution of 471,241 tonnes.
“For subsidised cooking oil packets… the average monthly production in 2022 was 55,000 tonnes, while in 2023, the maximum production was at 60,000 tonnes.” – March 25, 2024