Saturday 29 July 2023

Can Anwar Ibrahim solve this Paddy Puzzle?

HAVING viewed Rafizi Ramli paddy related talks in recent weeks, albeit via video technology, I have this distinct feeling that the Economic Minister firmly believes that technology alone will be able to drag the paddy farmers away from poverty.


WHAT essentially Rafizi Ramli is preaching is exactly what PAS, and UMNO had been preaching at either the State or Federal  level over the last six decades and when BERSATU was running the Federal Government, they were preaching the same thing; Let's teach the farmers how to fish better instead of giving them a fish.

THE  let's allow the farmer to fish better, train of thought at the macro level has failed over the past six to seven decades to bring farmers out of the B40 trap.

BY merely repeating the same process, and by tying it up to the technology of our times, and expecting a different outcome is the trait of a madmen.


SO can Anwar Ibrahim solve this puzzle?  Anwar Ibrahim in the interim have put in some stop gap measures such as READ : Bernas will have to distribute 30 per cent of its profits to paddy farmers.

IF Anwar Ibrahim drops dead at this moment, there is nothing stopping the incoming guy or gal to reverse his decision, because nothing has been legislated to ensure policy continuation.

BERNAS is merely one part of the puzzle and it is good to see that the Prime Minister has done what the other former living ex Prime Minister's refused to do ;  forcing Bernas to cough up some cash.

THERE is however, a while elephant in this puzzle which no living ex Prime Minister has ever addressed in a serious manner. READ : System Padi Kunca.

BASICALLY, under the Padi Kunca system, farmers for every RM1500 cash advance that are given to them by the middle men, loan sharks or even your friendly local rulling state Government politician, as a farmer, you will have to return it with RM5000 worth of paddy. 


IT is this part of the paddy farmer income puzzle which Anwar Ibrahim have yet to solve, but he must solve it and by doing so, the Prime Minister must be open to the possibility of floating rice in the free market and allow  market supply and demand to determine the prices.

DEMANDING paddy farmers to increase production but then controlling the prices hasn't worked in 70 years and it won't work even if you try it for another 700 years.