Pertubuhan Persaudaraan Pesawah Malaysia (PeSawah) has called on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to intervene after claiming unfulfilled promises by the agriculture and food security ministry in disbursing ploughing and harvesting incentives.
In a statement, PeSawah chairman Abdul Rashid Yob said the disbursement of the incentives had been delayed for three consecutive padi planting seasons.
“We call upon the prime minister to urgently intervene. We demand immediate full payment of the outstanding ploughing and harvesting incentives for all three planting seasons.
“This must be done without further delays and without any more excuses,” he said.
Rashid said today marked the second official deadline for the incentives announced by the government. “Yet, farmers have still not received the promised payments.”
He said the ministry first made a commitment on June 11 last year for an increase in the ploughing incentive from RM100 to RM160 per hectare per season, along with the introduction of a new harvesting incentive of RM50 per hectare per season.
“These measures were announced as relief for rice farmers following the removal of the diesel subsidy in June 2024. However, they have remained nothing more than empty promises,” he said.
“After enduring a year of soaring operational costs — up to 55% higher — farmers have once again been misled by the government.”
He said following a meeting of the Cabinet committee on food security on June 16, the ministry issued a statement on June 28 reaffirming the government’s commitment to pay the same incentive rates, assuring full payment by July 31.
“That promise, too, has not been kept.
“We are not beggars. We are demanding our rightful dues — promises publicly made by the government.
“This failure not only betrays the trust of the farming community but also endangers the security of the nation’s rice supply,” Rashid said.
