KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has sufficient food supplies to last at least six months, with no need for the public to stockpile essentials, says Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Zahid, who is also National Disaster Management Committee chairman, was responding to reports that 33 countries had issued advisories urging citizens to stockpile food, water and other essentials for emergencies.
“We do not see the need for such measures as food availability and storage levels are sufficient.
“We have enough food supplies to last at least six months,” he said at a press conference after the Malaysia-China Cooperation Meeting on Investment, Trade and Economic Empowerment.
Media reports said the countries, including France, the United Kingdom and Japan, had advised households to keep enough supplies to last at least three days amid concerns over conflicts, extreme weather and disruptions to critical services.
Zahid said the government had worked hard to ensure the essential needs of citizens and others living in Malaysia were met.
“We are not in a state of emergency and, God willing, far from a state of emergency,” he said.
In June, Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said Malaysia had sufficient stocks of essential food items, including chicken, eggs, fish, milk and fruits, to last at least a month despite global supply chain disruptions.