Malaysia Senate passes 2026 amendments to rice control and statistics laws

The Dewan Negara (Senate) approved the Rice and Paddy Control Act (Amendment) 2026, raising penalties for violations to as much as RM250,000 for individuals and up to RM1 million for repeat corporate offences, and adding new Section 29 fines of up to RM15,000 or six months’ imprisonment. Deputy Agriculture Minister Datuk Chan Foong Hin said the changes aim to curb market manipulation, protect the national food supply and introduce a digital rice‑tracking system without over‑burdening farmers.

In a related move, the Senate cleared the Statistics Bill 2026, which will replace the 1965 Statistics Act. Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd. Nasir highlighted that the new law will establish a National Statistics Council, a central data repository and stronger data‑protection measures, modernising Malaysia’s statistical framework for more accurate policy‑making.