Key points
- Nearly 40pc of Malaysia’s imported rice came from India and Pakistan: Malaysian minister
- India supplied white rice, while basmati rice came from Pakistan
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Malaysia warned Wednesday that tensions between India and Pakistan could potentially disrupt rice imports to the heavily dependent Southeast Asian nation, prompting it to look elsewhere for supplies.
Tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours have escalated with India launching strikes on Pakistan following last month’s Pahalgam incident in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
Malaysian Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu said nearly 40 per cent of the country’s imported rice came from India and Pakistan.
Food security
“Their political and economic stability is crucial for food security in Malaysia,” Mohamad told local daily New Straits Times.
“If a war or tensions occur that affect port operations or delivery infrastructure, rice imports to our country could be disrupted,” he said.
Their political and economic stability is crucial for food security in Malaysia.” – Malaysian Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu
India supplied white rice, while basmati rice came from Pakistan — both staples for most of Malaysia’s 34 million residents.
Direct impact
“If the situation in that region escalates, it will certainly have a direct impact on us, particularly in terms of prices and supply continuity,” Mohamad told the paper.
Currently, Malaysian rice supplies were stable, but the Putrajaya-based government was boosting ties with other rice suppliers in the region including Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia.
