Kuala Lumpur: Sipitang Member of Parliament Datuk Matbali Musah
(pic) has urged the Federal Government to grant the Lembaga Padi dan Beras Sabah (LPBS) greater authority to monitor rice supplies in Sabah to ensure any disruptions can be detected and addressed promptly.
Speaking during the debate on the Paddy and Rice Control (Amendment) Bill 2026 in the Dewan Rakyat on Friday, he said LPBS should be empowered as a strategic partner of the Federal Government in monitoring rice supplies, collecting stock data, carrying out joint enforcement operations, planning the State's food security and coordinating rice distribution during times of crisis.
Advertisement
Matbali said the proposal was aimed at strengthening cooperation rather than encroaching on Federal powers, adding that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security should work closely with the Sabah Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Ministry, while describing the State Government's establishment of LPBS as a forward-looking initiative.
He also called on the ministry to address three key issues, namely the six-acre subsidy limit for Sabah paddy farmers, whether Sabah's monthly allocation of 25,000 metric tonnes of rice could be guaranteed without shortages or delays, and whether the Government was prepared to establish a Sabah Rice Buffer Stock while giving LPBS a greater role in monitoring supplies, managing stockpiles and food security planning.
Matbali said the Bill would strengthen monitoring and enforcement, curb market manipulation and cartel activities, restore public confidence in the country's rice supply system and justified heavier penalties for offenders, while urging the Government to identify more granary areas and adopt modern technologies, including artificial intelligence, noting that more than 4,000 hectares from Papar to Sipitang have been identified as suitable for paddy cultivation.
