In June 2018, during PH’s 22-month administration, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub said Bernas’ rice import monopoly would be terminated. “To protect the interests of local paddy farmers, we have identified the modules used in other countries [in importing rice], among them Indonesia, which has been successful in its approach to opening up the monopoly on rice.”

However, in November 2020, after the PH government fell and the PN government under Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was in power, Bernas received a 10-year extension, although with five more social obligations added, doubling the rice importer’s social obligations to 10. It is not clear what the social obligations are.