[UPDATED] Padi fertiliser probe: MACC may call minister, senior officials

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) may summon the Agriculture and Food Security Minister, as well as senior officials, in its ongoing investigation into delayed fertiliser supplies to 60,000 padi farmers in Kedah, according to the MACC chief commissioner Datuk Seri Abd Halim Aman. The probe aims to comprehensively examine all aspects related to the policy, tender, and implementation of the supply process.

The MACC has been instructed to investigate anyone connected to the matter, including the minister if necessary. The investigation was sparked by a complaint from Pertubuhan Persaudaraan Pesawah Malaysia (Pesawah) on August 26, concerning delays in the distribution of Baja 3, a supplementary compound fertiliser, to padi farmers in Kedah.

The probe focuses on the delays affecting approximately 100,000 hectares of padi-growing areas under the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (Mada), where the supplier was appointed by the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim acknowledged the farmers' concerns and expressed the government's commitment to determining the cause of the delays, including identifying the company entrusted with the distribution and assessing whether it fulfilled its obligations.