Press Statement By Violet Yong:
It is high time for the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) to come out with scheme to control the price of Red Onion in Malaysia. The price of Red Onion has increased drastically to RM17 per kilogram in Sarawak recently and because of this has placed a great burden towards the food industry and local traders in particular.
In the interior parts of Sarawak including the constituency of the Minister of KPDNHEP Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi which is Kapit, the price of Red Onions has even skyrocketed to RM20 per kilogram which the rural folks find it unbelievable and unaffordable.
The current statistics show that Malaysia imports 70% of the Red Onions from India to cater Malaysia’s market demand and the average onion consumption of Malaysians per month is 35,971,671 kg.
The present government may blame it on the export ban of Red Onions from India thereby resulting in the price to skyrocket. But, the government cannot be seen to just sit on the issue and not doing anything about it.
“What is the use of having KPDNHEP but there isn’t anything which the ministry can do about the red onion price hike? So far, the Minister of KPDNHEP, is quiet about the issue. What action has been taken by his Ministry to tackle the problem is also not disclose to the public.”
It puzzles me, during Pakatan Harapan time, whenever there is any price hike in food items, all the blames and angered will be vented on the then government but why is it that the present government does not have to be made responsible for it?
KPDNHEP cannot escape from its responsibilities to implement effective measures to address the price hike of Red Onions.
“By making sure there is sufficient supply of Red Onions alone in the country is not enough, it is equally important for the government to control the pricing of Red Onions so that it is affordable by the consumers.”
If the present Perikatan Nasional Government cannot even control the price of Red Onions, what else can 32.6 million Malaysians count on them for livelihood?
Violet Yong
ADUN for Pending
23.11.2020
