Amid a shortage of local rice supply, Dewan Rakyat speaker Johari Abdul has suggested that people consider eating cassava (ubi kayu) as an alternative carbohydrate source.

Harian Metro quoted Johari as suggesting more Malaysians to be bold and not rely solely on rice as their main staple food.

"If rice (shortage) is an issue, what is the purpose of the rice that we eat? The purpose is to get carbohydrates...