Price of goods, local rice supply, haze among focus of Dewan Rakyat today

KUALA LUMPUR: Issues of the increase in the price of goods, the shortage of local white rice and the haze situation in the country are among the matters to be raised in Parliament today.

According to the Order Paper on the official Parliament website, Datuk Seri Doris Sophia Brodi (GPS-Sri Aman) will ask the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister about the government's strategy and efforts in controlling the sudden increase in the price of goods, especially essential items.

The question will be raised during the Question for Oral Answers session.

There will also be a question from Datuk Seri Shahidan Kasim (PN-Arau) to the Prime Minister on the total number of permanent relief centres that have been built and their locations.

The matter was raised following the announcement by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zahid Hamidi on Jan 31 that the government would build permanent relief centres in areas that were susceptible to flooding.

After the session, the Agriculture and Food Security Minister is scheduled to give an explanation regarding the issue of local white rice supply, while the Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister will explain the haze that is currently affecting the country.

Also, the Defence Minister will give a briefing on the Boustead Group, which is one of the subsidiaries of the Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT), and the Home Minister will explain the issue of prison and detention centre reform.

The order for today's sitting will also include the tabling of six bills for the first reading.

The bills are the Trade Unions (Amendment) Bill 2023; Energy Efficiency and Conservation Bill 2023; Electricity Supply (Amendment) Bill 2023; National Water Services Commission Act (Amendment) Bill 2023; Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (Amendment) Bill 2023; and Public Finance and Responsibility Bill 2023.

-- BERNAMA