KOTA KINABALU: The Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry should immediately investigate and take action to reverse the sudden increase in the price of cooking oil which has risen shockingly to more than RM30 for a 5kg bottle.
“Malaysians are already stressed with the implementation of movement control orders and loss of income, and now they are burdened by this sudden and unreasonable increase in cooking oil prices during this pandemic. This price increase is neither reasonable nor acceptable,” said Kepayan assemblywoman Jannie Lasimbang.
During this Covid-19 pandemic, she said the government should subsidise the price of cooking oil and protect against any other price increases of basic goods that would burden the rakyat.
“I have talked to few grocery store owners, and they lamented that the cost of cooking oil has indeed gone up about two to three times in past months, and traders have now been given notice by their suppliers that the price will go up again this month,” she added.
Jannie also urged the federal and the GRS governments to constantly monitor the price of cooking oil as a controlled item as well as the price of other basic items so that the people will not continue to suffer during this economic crisis.