KOTA KINABALU: A total of 2,340 metric tonnes of sugar will reach Sabah in stages on the third and fourth week of this month.
Of the amount, 590 metric tonnes are expected to arrive in stages at the Sepanggar Port near here, while 650 metric tonnes will arrive at Sandakan Port and 1,100 metric tonnes at Tawau Port, said Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry office director Georgie Abas.
“Refined sugar supply will be received by two sugar factories, Central Sugars Refinery Sdn Bhd and MSM Prai Sdn Bhd, which are also the main suppliers in the country,” he said
The supply is expected to stabilise by August 2021.
“Sugar shortage issues at several places in Sabah have started to emerge since April, 2021,” he said in a statement on Friday.
He said that the reason for the shortage is because the supplies from two sugar factories in West Malaysia had decreased by 50 percent.
He said that among the reasons for the reduction were technical issues facing one of the manufacturing factories due to a malfunction in the main sugar processing machinery; the spread of the pandemic among the workers has impacted the production capacity; and the delay in delivery by ships due to changes in the travelling schedule.
“To ensure that there are enough sugar supply despite the delivery disruptions from West Malaysia since April to July 2021, a person is only allowed to purchase up to two kilograms of sugar or two packets each by retailers,” he said.
Georgie said that although the method might raise negative perception among the people, it is necessary to ensure the supply reaches more people.
He also commented on the supply of one-kilogram cooking oil in polybags and said that checks by his officers found that there is ample supply of bottled cooking oil.
“However, the demand for subsidized cooking oil in the one-kilogram polybag has risen drastically following the hike in the price of bottled cooking oil due to the increase in the price of crude palm oil in the world market,” he said.
Georgie explained that cooking oil sold in plastic bottles with sizes of two kilogrammes, three kilogrammes, five kilogrammes and 17 kilogrammes are unsubsidized.
Georgie also informed that basic goods such as sugar, cooking oil, especially in the one-kilogramme polybag, eggs, flour and rice which are the main items in the preparation of food baskets to help people affected by Covid-19, have been bought from retailers in huge amounts.
“The purchase of these items in large quantities at retail level has resulted in consumers not getting supplies at some places and they have to purchase at retail outlets located farther from them or wait for new supplies to arrive to the retailers,” he said.
“The empty racks of crucial items at a retail outlet is worrisome since it can bring about negative reaction such as panic buying among people.
“In relations to that, we are hoping for cooperation from non-government organisations (NGOs) and humanitarian organisations to plan their purchase ahead of time so that the supply is not disrupted and always available.