GEORGE TOWN, February 8 – The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) calls on the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living and Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority(FAMA) to take immediate steps to bring down the price of vegetables which has increased up to 160% in the past one month. The Following prices listed below give the comparative price.
| No | Items | Old Price(RM) | New Price(RM) | Percentage |
| 1. | Lady’s finger (Bendi) | 6.00 | 16.00 | 166% |
| 2. | Long Beans (kacang panjang) | 6.00 | 12.00 | 100% |
| 3. | Tomoto | 4.50 | 10.00 | 120% |
| 4. | Beans | 6.00 | 12.00 | 100% |
| 5. | Eggplant(Terung) | 7.00 | 12.00 | 71% |
Several retailers complained that distributors and wholesalers have warned them that prices of other vegetables may go up in the coming weeks. CAP calls on the Enforcement Division of the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living to investigate the above price increases as average income earners will be badly affected by escalating prices of goods.
And crackdown on traders who hike their prices excessively and violate Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2010. CAP has also been repeatedly calling for FAMA to take control of the marketing and distribution of vegetables in the country to eliminate middlemen profiteering but our call has fallen on deaf ears.
