KUALA LUMPUR: Several grocery stores and supermarkets in the city have made proof of citizenship a requirement to buy local white rice.

The move is aimed at preventing foreigners from purchasing local white rice, which is subsidised. Some stores even limit purchases to one bag per family.

Trader Sharon Pooi, 47, said her store only allows Malaysians to buy local white rice.

"We check each buyer's MyKad to prevent this rice from falling into the hands of foreigners. In my store, each family can only buy two bags of local white rice," she said.

Although some customers have complained about the requirement to show their MyKad, Pooi said the measure will continue to ensure the subsidy reaches its intended recipients.

Another trader, who wished to be known as Yaw, 23, said he took a more systematic approach by clearly displaying a notice about the two-bag purchase limit per family.

"We also display a notice stating that customers must show their MyKad before they can buy the rice," he said.

Yaw added that this step not only ensures subsidised rice is sold to those eligible but also prevents misunderstandings.

A cashier, Nurul Huda Ispan, 28, said her store allows each family to purchase only one bag of local white rice.

"This is to ensure that more customers can benefit from it, but we do not put up any notices in the store," she said.

In February, the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry announced that a total of 24 million packs of subsidised local white rice would be made available starting from March 1, priced at RM26 per 10kg.

The initiative is expected to benefit 400,000 heads of poor households, including 77,000 who will receive the rice subsidy.