KUALA LUMPUR: A senior government official has reminded traders against taking advantage of consumers, saying he found the price of rice has been unreasonably marked up on food delivery platforms.
Padi and Rice Regulatory Division director-general Datuk Azman Mahmood said the cost of a plate of rice is estimated at 38 cents, yet some food delivery apps were selling it for RM3.50
Taking into account that 10kg of local rice costs RM38, he said, a trader could serve around 100 plates of rice to customers.
He said the cost of a plate of rice should not exceed 40 cents.
"Don't take advantage, traders also need to be considerate because the government has also made sacrifices," he said on RTM's Selamat Pagi Malaysia programme today.
"Padiberas Nasional Berhad (Bernas), wholesalers, retailers, and all parties in this sector have made sacrifices by lowering prices."
He said he hoped traders would not unreasonably raise the price of plain rice.
His remarks come after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim called for an investigation into reports indicating an increase in food prices.
During his speech at the Finance Ministry's monthly assembly yesterday, Anwar also highlighted the need for the authorities overseeing the supply of local white rice to improve enforcement and monitoring efforts.