No need to panic buy: Mat Sabu rubbishes Fomca's 72-hour food stockpile call

KUALA LUMPUR - The government has debunked advice urging Malaysians to stockpile rations for 72 hours, with Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu warning that panic buying will only disrupt supplies for everyday consumers. Clarifying that Putrajaya has issued no such emergency stockpile mandate, Mohamad urged consumers to ignore alarmist suggestions and continue buying according to regular household needs. "We do acknowledge that we are concerned about the current situation, including cyber threats, but we have not yet reached the stage of issuing directives for the public to stockpile food supplies," he told a press conference after launching the 'Himpunan Semarak Tani Jualan Agro Madani' in Bukit Katil here today. His remarks follow an advisory by the Federation of Malaysian Consumer Associations (Fomca) yesterday, which urged the public to store at least three days' worth of food and basic necessities to buffer against disruptions stemming from global geopolitical tensions and extreme weather events. Dismissing supply crunch fears, Mohamad gave an assurance that the country’s rice reserves stand solid for the next six months and will continue to be bolstered. "The supply of frozen fish is also guaranteed to be sufficient for the next eight months. So, there is no need for excessive purchases," he said. "Buying goods in excessive quantities will only create problems and make it difficult for other consumers to obtain supplies." He added that the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM) is continuously tracking domestic and global developments in partnership with climate scientists and research universities. As a buffer against unexpected shortfalls, the Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority (LKIM) and private commercial operators equipped with cold-storage infrastructure have already been instructed to maintain high inventories, targeting popular, high-demand fish varieties. Turning to domestic relief measures, Mohamad said the government is targeting 5,000 Agro MADANI Sales initiatives nationwide, building on the 3,400 sessions conducted so far. The programme, which offers groceries discounted between 10% and 30%, is tailored to alleviate living cost pressures in rural and semi-urban communities. "We cannot hold programmes like these every day because local grocery stores also need to do business. So, we are holding it weekly to give people a chance to save money while also ensuring the sustainability of local traders," he said. - November 7, 2026 The post No need to panic buy: Mat Sabu rubbishes Fomca's 72-hour food stockpile call appeared first on Scoop .