Recently, the prices of chickens have soared to more than RM10 per kilograms and obviously, consumers are filing complaints about this.
Nonetheless, the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry (KPDNHEP) had shared their views on the matter on Facebook but they had earned themselves a furious backlash from netizens for making statements that appeared ignorant.
KPDNHEP then took down the Facebook post, however, netizens managed to get a screenshot of it and they made the incident viral.
The caption of their Facebook post reads “Who said chickens from the supermarket aren’t fresh?”, while they shared a comic strip to illustrate the entire situation. The comic goes:
A: Iiiih! The chickens sold at the wet market are so expensive!
B: Why didn’t you buy them at a supermarket? It’s cheaper than a wet market.
A: But supermarket chickens aren’t fresh, right?
B: Eh, who said that? They don’t slaughter and process live chickens at wet markets anymore? Supermarkets and wet markets are the same.
A: You’re absolutely right!
While the comic intends to educate consumers about making smart purchases, however, netizens were upset over the fact that KPDNHEP had protected the small business owners and they accused the Ministry of being out of touch with the affairs of consumers and traders.
Giler. Is KPDNHEP seriously siding with capitalists and discouraging people from buying from small owners now? What a sight???
— kimberly (@ruby_twts) September 13, 2021
This is not what u supposed to do @kpdnhep, why make the rich richer and poor poorer. #distasteful https://t.co/vqUmp96MtB
— RajivSethukarian (@friendsofk9) September 13, 2021
On the other hand, KPDNHEP had explained that they are currently working on solutions to combat the price hike of chickens by monitoring and engaging with farmers, wholesalers and traders.
The Ministry mentioned its intentions to introduce a ceiling price for these necessary goods, similar to what we now have during the festive seasons.
In the statement, they also explained that the Ministry will not hesitate to implement price controls if prices increase too rapidly or if there exists a cartel that is manipulating prices within the supply chain.
According to their survey, the nation’s average price of processed chickens as of 10 September, was at RM8.83 per kilograms.
The price of standard processed chicken in the Peninsular was RMRM8.78 per kilograms and ranges between RM5.99 per kilograms to RM11.00 per kilograms.
While in East Malaysia, the standard price for processed chickens ranges between RM10.90 per kilograms and RM11.80 per kilograms in Sabah, while in Sarawak, the price was between RM7.50 per kilograms to RM9.80 per kilograms.
The Ministry said they will continue to monitor and take action against those who were found to have manipulated the price of goods.
What do you think about this? Share your thoughts!
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