ALOR STAR: Chicken retailers in Kedah are crying foul over the suppliers' move to suddenly impose 30 sen service charge beginning the first day of Ramadan yesterday.
The additional charge has forced the retailers to sell processed chicken at RM9.30 per kg, breaching the RM8.90 per kg ceiling price set by the government.
Pasar Besar Alor Star chicken retailer, Wan Ahmad Fauzi Wan Ismail, 51, said he was forced to sell the processed chicken above the ceiling price after the suppliers imposed the service charge.
"The suppliers claim they have to increase the price because of transport service charges. We are baffled why suddenly there is a service charge during this Ramadan.
"During Ramadan last year, the price of chicken was stable, but when it was announced that the country will enter the endemic transition phase, the prices suddenly shot up.
"Previously the suppliers also delivered the chickens, but there was no service charge," he said when met at the market today.
Mat Saat Nayan, 54, a chicken retailer in Pendang said he was also given the same excuse by the suppliers, something he considered as absurd.
He said now he had to pay the supplier RM8.50 per kg.
"We have no option but to sell them at RM9.50 per kg to customers because we have to pay the workers and other operating costs," said Mat Saat, who had been selling chicken since 1980s.