Only premium eggs available in Putrajaya
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Eggs have been in low supply around the country since October, with many complaints surfacing over a lack of supply at supermarkets and grocery stores due to restricted supply.
However, while supply was said to have resumed to normal since Saturday, with some netizens claiming it coincided with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's appointment as Prime Minister, Sinar Daily found that Putrajaya residents faced a different issue.
A check at Myfarm Outlet Kasih Putrajaya revealed that the only option for eggs was the Omega 3 variety, which costs RM23 per carton of 30 eggs, at least RM8 more than what a carton of Grade A eggs would cost.
A shopper who wished to be known as Nor Hamizah, 35, said that she had no choice but to purchase the eggs despite the high cost.
“We do not have any other option. I had to buy it because these are the only eggs available here today. It does not matter whether it is cheap or expensive, we had to buy it since there is no other stock,” Hamizah said.
Nuran Amir, 47, also said that while he had read that stock for eggs was increasing, he only found grade AA and grade A eggs available in the Putrajaya area.
“This grade is expensive. A carton of grade A eggs is RM20. Big families like mine depend on cheap food like eggs but right now everything is still expensive," he said.
Husainy Hazari, 44, a market vendor, said that he read newspaper reports that the egg supply began to increase yesterday, but found that the supply was still insufficient here.
Husainy added that because the price of the eggs they purchased from distributors and wholesalers was already high, traders were forced to charge consumers a higher price.
“The price from the distributor is RM13.20 for a carton of grade A eggs but the selling price that KPDNKK set is RM13.50 so we will only get RM0.20 profit,” he said.
Anwar announced on Sunday that Malaysia is revising its government subsidy programme with the intention of prioritising aid for lower income groups, who are the most severely affected by the sharp increase in prices of essential goods.
In line with this, the Prime Minister called for the first meeting of the National Action Council on cost of living on Saturday, upon which he gave the council two weeks to prepare a targeted subsidy proposal.
He stated at a news conference that government agencies were also given two weeks to present findings on the overall impact if subsidies were eliminated.
When asked about her thoughts on the Prime Minister's plan to reduce the cost of living, Hamizah said she believed the plan can be implemented, but that it would take time.
“We need to understand that he needs to restore the government, so we need to be patient. I think based on the pattern of his leadership, I hope he can do it but maybe it will take some time and the people need to be patient,” she said.
Nuran said subsidies and food have a significant impact on people and he thinks the Prime Minister's strategy will be beneficial.
Retailer Husainy believed that the present government will be more vigilant regarding the wholesale and retail prices of items.
“I hope the authorities can strengthen their enforcement not to the small retailers but to the distributors and wholesalers to reduce the goods prices through more stringent controls,” he said.
All of them stated that they are unaffected by the current petrol price of RM2.05 per litre, however Hamizah, who drives a diesel vehicle, stated that she is somewhat affected by the diesel price of RM2.15 per litre.
