Day: July 1, 2022

PASIR SALAK, July 1 (Bernama) — Visitors at the Perak-level Jelajah Aspirasi Keluarga Malaysia or Malaysian Family Aspirations Tour (AKM) will have the opportunity to get cooking oil at only RM30 for a five kilogramme (kg) bottle beginning today.

The three-day AKM Tour programme is being held at the Dato’ Sagor Circuit in Kampung Telok in Kampung Gajah here.

A visitor, Nurafifah Radzuan, 22, said the initiative to sell goods at low prices would ease the financial burden brought on by the rise in the prices of goods.

“This will ease the financial burden of the people because the price difference is huge, which is about RM12,” the teacher told Bernama.

Meanwhile, other main attractions at the Perak AKM Tour are the discounted summons by the Road Transport Department, Royal Malaysia Police and Perak Tengah District Council (MDPT).

Government retiree Shamsul Azri, 67, said he was able to settle his outstanding summonses in just half an hour.

“I have settled 10 summonses for just RM650 compared to the original amount of RM1,300. Apart from that, I can also buy many items here at cheaper prices such as cooking oil, eggs and chicken,” he said.

The Perak AKM Tour opened its doors today with more than 30,000 visitors expected to attend the three-day programme.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

PUTRAJAYA, July 1 (Bernama) — The Ministry of Health (MOH) through the Food Safety and Quality Division (BKKM) today informed that no distributor or company in Malaysia has obtained a licence for the import and sale of zam zam water.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said zam zam water is categorised as natural mineral water and is enshrined under Regulation 360A of the Food Regulations 1985.

Regulation 360A states that the import of natural mineral water requires a licence on the water source from the MOH after obtaining confirmation documents from the geological and hydrological authorities of the exporting country.

“In this case, the Saudi Arabian government has never issued the confirmation because zam zam water cannot be exported and traded,” he said in a statement issued following media reports on the sale of zam zam water online, recently.

Dr Noor Hisham said consignment rejection action would be taken if there was an unauthorised import of zam zam water.

“As such, the authenticity of zam zam water advertised or sold in the market is doubtful,” he said.

According to Dr Noor Hisham, RM83,618.20 worth of zam zam water has been confiscated through enforcement efforts conducted since 2012.

He said a total of 237 food advertisements were deleted from e-commerce platforms for various offences under the Food Act 1983 and Food Regulations 1985, following screening conducted by BKKM.

Of the 237 deleted food advertisements, 32 involved zam zam water advertisements, he added.

Dr Noor Hisham said from 2021 until this year, a total of 23 and 40 zam zam water advertisements respectively, were deleted from social media.

Under the Food Regulations 1985, any individual convicted of selling packaged drinking water and unlicensed natural mineral water shall be liable to a fine not exceeding RM10,000 or imprisonment for a term of not more than two years.

“The MOH advises the public not to buy zam zam water from any online shop or platform, especially during the haj season for fear that it could be fake,” said Dr Noor Hisham.

The public is urged to channel any information on the sale of zam zam water to the nearest district health office, state health department, or through http://moh.spab.gov.my or the BKKM’s official Facebook page.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

Mohd Faizal was supposed to return to Melaka on Wednesday and the family went through anxious moments when he did not return to shore as scheduled, she added.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 (Bernama) — The media should educate the people by sharing knowledge and accurate information so that Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family) understands the efforts of the government in combating various global economic issues, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Ismail Sabri said all ministries and government agencies have been giving cooperation to the media to assist and facilitate in channeling balanced and verified information.

He said sometimes, news reports became the guide by the authorities to take follow-up action such as channeling aid, for the well-being of Keluarga Malaysia.

“The government always listens and is concerned about the reports raised by the media,” he said in a post on his Facebook page.

Ismail Sabri also took the opportunity to congratulate Berita Harian in conjunction with its 65th-anniversary celebration today.

He also hoped that the newspaper would continue to grow and publish accurate and fair news and reports as well as help the government developed and advance the country for the sake of Keluarga Malaysia.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 (Bernama) — The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) is conducting nationwide operations to ensure traders sell chicken and eggs at the new ceiling price set by the government effective today.

On Wednesday, the government announced a new ceiling price for chicken in the Peninsula at RM9.40 per kilogramme (kg) while chicken eggs for grade A at 45 sen/egg; grade B (43 sen/egg) and grade C (41 sen/egg) in line with the government’s decision to maintain the subsidy for the goods in an effort to ease the cost of living on the people.

The Chicken, Chicken Egg and Cooking Oil (OP ATM) operation in most states today found that most traders complied with the set ceiling price, and even in Terengganu there were traders who sold chicken below the ceiling price.

Kuala Lumpur KPDNHEP director Ariffin Samsudin said monitoring in the city involved two supermarkets and found that almost all traders complied with the new ceiling price set and supply of chicken was sufficient.

Terengganu KPDNHEP chief enforcement officer Nor Azmi Lamisza said monitoring found that most traders, including in supermarkets, complied with the set prices, however, there was a shortage of polybag oil and chicken eggs.

“InsyaAllah (supply) will be restored before Hari Raya Aidiladha,” he said after checking the price at a supermarket here today.

The same situation was found in inspections in Melaka, Perlis, Perak, Johor, Negeri Sembilan and Kelantan where most traders complied with the new ceiling price, and traders were even found not to charge for chicken cutting service.

Johor KPDNHEP director Mohd Hairul Anuar Bohro said Op ATM would be continued throughout the month at all levels of the chain, namely manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers with locations focused on wet markets, public markets, farmers’ markets and supermarkets.

However, in PENANG, there are still chicken sellers charging a service charge of RM1 to RM1.50 per kilogramme of chicken.

A trader in Pasar Sama Gagah, Permatang Pauh who only wanted to be known as Zafri said they had to impose a chicken chopping charge to cover the cost at the new ceiling price.

In PAHANG, the inspection of the price of the controlled goods not only involves chicken and eggs but also bottled cooking oil to ensure that the price remains reasonable and traders do not take advantage.

A restaurant owner in Shah Alam, SELANGOR, Hamidah Sayuti, 25, expressed relief with the implementation of the standard chicken ceiling price because she did not have to increase the price of chicken dishes in her shop.

Meanwhile, in KEDAH, the managing director of poultry breeding, processing and distribution company, Urusan Bismi Empire Sdn Bhd (Ayam Bismi), Mazlina Kamarudin thanked the government for providing a ceiling price seen as a win-win situation for breeders and buyers.

In SARAWAK, the Sarawak Bumiputera Entrepreneurs Chamber (DUBS) Limbang branch chairman Mohamad Abu Bakar urged the government to set a more uniform retail ceiling price for chicken in Limbang and Lawas districts as prices in both areas are the highest due to various transportation cost factors and remote location.

The ceiling price of chicken in the two northern zones of Sarawak is RM12.90 per kg for standard chicken; super chicken (RM13.90 per kg) and live chicken (RM8.60 per kg), while grade A chicken eggs 49 sen/egg, grade B (47 sen/egg) and grade C (45 sen/egg).

The retail price of chicken in Sarawak is RM9.80 to RM13.90 per kilogramme while the retail price of chicken eggs is between 43 sen each and 50 sen according to grades A, B and C based on the zone effective from today until Aug 31.

In SABAH, supermarket and wet market traders here adhere to the chicken ceiling price of RM12 per kilogramme on the west coast and RM12.30 per kilogramme on the east coast of Sabah set by the government.

Consumers were not only relieved with the ceiling price of the chicken but also satisfied with the ceiling price of 50 sen for grade A chicken eggs on the west coast and 51 sen on the east coast of the state.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 (Bernama) — A mismatch between supply and demand is among the causes of the rise in prices of goods, said Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa.

Annuar said in this connection, the Special Task Force on Jihad Against Inflation, which he chairs, would look into ways or methods to create a balance between supply and demand.

Citing vegetables as an example, he said suppliers were certainly faced with the issue of rising prices.

“Vegetable production has not yet reached the original capacity, a portion of workers has not returned, foreign workers hired have not yet entered and so on, while demand has started to rise to the original level.

“So there is a mismatch. If this is the situation, the committee (special task force) will discuss again how to create a balance between the supply side and demand side,” he told reporters after checking food prices at Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia (UIAM) in Gombak today.

Earlier, Annuar had inspected food prices at the cafeteria of Universiti Malaya together with Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi, before going to UIAM and a supermarket here.

He said it was possible that the failure of a system or a system was implemented but not running as planned might have also contributed to a shortage in supplies.

“For example, the system of providing 60,000 tonnes of subsidised cooking oil per month is to meet domestic needs but in reality, oil meant for domestic consumers has been used by the non-domestic sector.

“Just like today I could see bags of oil were clearly used for commercial purposes,” he said.

Annuar said when this practice became widespread, there would be a shortfall in supply for domestic consumers, possibly leading to bigger leakages if the situation was not controlled and rectified.

“So, I feel there should be an effort for us to improve this mechanism. This task force will discuss with the parties involved,” Annuar said.

Annuar said he would continue conducting checks in other locations because many more goods need to be assessed in determining the Consumer Price Index in the basket of goods and services for combating inflation.

He said the task force would also call up several economists and key subject matter experts to join its meetings to find the best ways to tackle the inflation issue.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency