Fears of rumoured strict lockdowns during this COVID-19 pandemic has caused countless scenes of empty shelves, long lines at supermarkets and hoarding of items by certain members of society. Such images, fuelled further by social media, has also led to fears of food shortage. This has caused some groups to recommend the implementation of a food rationing system to ensure food sufficiency.
However, it is not a good idea to implement rationing just as yet.
The purpose of food rationing ensures that every person has a fair share with enough to eat at a controlled reasonable price. It is also meant to prevent food hoarding.
There are examples of rationing throughout history, mainly due to conditions of war and famine. During the Second World War, Great Britain was dependent on food supplies (and other necessities like petrol) from Canada and the United States, which were significantly disrupted by German Kriegsmarine U-boats and surface warships which sank millions of tonnes of merchant shipping in the Atlantic. Disruptions in food supplies caused food shortages, which forced them to implement a ration system. Each British citizen, including the young, were issued ration books with coupons, which are marked upon each purchase. While certain food items faced drastic controls, such as eggs, where a person was only entitled to purchase 1 egg per week, other controlled items were still fairly sufficient. Not all food items were rationed and some things can be bought without limit, provided they were in stock.
During the Malayan Emergency, the Briggs’ Plan saw the introduction of food rationing. This was mainly to prevent Communist insurgents from gaining access to food supplies (this was also the reason why Chinese new villages were created, which was to disrupt supply), making it essentially a food control mechanism rather than an objective to ensure food sufficiency.
Fast forward to modern Malaysia, in recent times there would be occasional instances of water rationing. But far from requiring citizens to present ration books, our authorities distributed water based on trust.
Rationing is only introduced in the event of scarcity. Though there may be a temporary shortage of certain food types in local stores, this has been due to logistical disruptions under the MCO. Already, the market has adapted and filled the gaps in the supply-chain, a tribute to the resilience and ingenuity (and business-smarts) of the Malaysian people. Governments around the world have identified the need to ensure that food production continues. This is evident from the tone in the both the recent stimulus packages, which gave mention to agrofood. This is likely meant as a contingency rather than reaction to a looming crisis. The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has been actively working alongside governments, warning and advising them to take appropriate action. At this stage, adequate steps have been taken thanks to the pressure from various groups and think tanks to ensure sufficient supply.
However, there are food-related concerns that must be addressed. There needs to be an eye on easing food production costs to avoid hikes in food prices, especially under such times when incomes are affected. Citizens affected by strict quarantine would require help – people who can deliver food to them since they are not allowed to exit their homes. This is why the government should take every help it can get – leveraging upon NGOs – as long as proper precautions are undertaken to prevent the spread of the virus. Also, welfare organisations need to be allowed to distribute food to people in extreme poverty who do not have the financial resources to fend for their own.
Also, with availability of food and actually having access to food are two different things, which is down to finance, again, logistics. For example, oil palm workers may have traditionally relied on their employers to supply them food, but with the MCO, this may have been affect. This causes such groups to become vulnerable and require assistance.
Will Malaysians go starving due to this pandemic?
Overall, probably not. But we might occasionally be deprived of certain luxuries, namely imported food products which are not basic food items. According to Bank Negara, while it is true that Malaysia is not self-sufficient for certain types of food and is a net importer of food (importing RM54 billion in 2018, while exporting RM5 billion in 2018), we do in fact have enough to meet domestic consumption for many basic food items.
This isn't a time of war and famine. We do not currently have any U-boats sinking cargo ships nor are there anymore Communist insurgent to deprive of food. Farms, food processing centers, and any infrastructure relating to agriculture and food production is still standing and producing. Supply-lines are getting reestablished after temporary disruptions. Markets and supermarkets are getting supplies again.
If anything, we seem to have too much to consume and acts of hoarding have resulted in shameful acts food wastage.
Therefore – no, we do not need food rationing, for now. But there is no harm in preparing and increasing our food stockpiles, just in case, as there will be temporary disruptions on exports (ie. Vietnam's suspension on rice exports to feed their own), which was mentioned in Muhyiddin's second stimulus.
What we do desperately need (which is the main characteristic required from the MCO), is for people to exercise greater self-control! Purchase what you need and not more.
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