MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT WILL NOT WITHDRAW SUGAR SUBSIDY

BERA (Malaysia), Dec 21 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian government will not
completely withdraw the sugar subsidy to avoid burdening the people, Domestic
Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said Sunday.

He said without the subsidy, the price of sugar, currently sold at RM1.45
(US$1=RM3.4) per kg, would increase to RM2.50 to RM2.60per kg.

"At the moment, the government has no plans to withdraw the sugar subsidy
where 70m per cent is bought at the old price, while the remaining 30 per cent
based on current price," he said Sunday.
He said the government had to spend more than RM1 billion a year to import
sugar, including from Thailand, Australia and Brazil to met local needs.

Ismail Sabri said the people should reduce their intake of sugar to avoid
getting chronic diseases like diabetes.

He said that based on a survey by the Health Ministry, an estimated 1.2
million people would suffer from diabetic by 2011, which figure was expected to
increase to 2.6 million by 2030, if sugar consumption was not reduced.

-- BERNAMA