KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia Muslim Consumers Association (PPIM) has taken the government to task for its lack of proactive actions to curb the hike in chicken prices.
PPIM lead activist Datuk Nadzim Johan said the price of raw chicken has been sharply rising since October, with wholesalers and retailers hinting at the possibility of a price hike up to RM9.30 per kilogram in November.
"What raises more confusion is that chicken breeders claimed that they are not raising the chicken prices while retailers claimed that chicken prices increased by 40 per cent recently.
"So, who is actually increasing the price? Where are the government agencies tasked with monitoring the price of goods and eradicate the middlemen?" he said in a statement today.
Nadzim demanded that the government provide an effective solution to resolve the issue instead of giving unreasonable excuses.
"Reasons such as global economic uncertainty or supply-demand imbalance are no longer relevant. The people are badly affected by the surging prices of goods and the rising cost of living.
"The people's income level has remained stagnant and they continue to suffer although three governments have come to power since the last general election.
"Perhaps all the politicians are busy politicking and wrestling power that they have forgotten their responsibilities towards the people," he said.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, on Wednesday, said the recent price hike on essential goods in the country stemmed from the accumulated costs at various levels of the supply chain.
The government, he said, would import frozen chicken to enable the people to purchase chicken at a lower price.