The digital realm was astir with discussions regarding the surge in the cost of rice, especially imported varieties, leading to widespread criticism of the government.

Insight:

• The conversations on Rice Price Hike garnered around 13.4K mentions with 529.6K social interactions that potentially reached 8.9M users.
• The digital landscape reflected a range of emotions as online users pointed fingers at the government, particularly Anwar Ibrahim, for the price hike. Netizens also criticized him for his inability to regulate the cost of essential food items, thereby straining household budgets.
• Despite the government’s clarification that the price increase was exclusive to imported rice, the opposition exploited the issue to undermine the government’s competency in leading the country, resulting in a negative impact on the government’s reputation.
• However, some individuals continued to support the government, agreeing that it had done its utmost to control prices, and that the increase did not affect locally produced rice.