Stall holders in government-owned food courts like this one in George Town are under scrutiny for high prices despite low stall rentals.—CHAN BOON KAI/The Star
PENANG hawker food prices became a hot topic after an assemblyman revealed that hawkers renting stall space in local council food courts only pay between RM8 and RM250 a month.
By comparison, stall rentals in private food courts cost thousands of ringgit a month.
Penang Island City Council owns 31 food courts in public markets, including the Cecil Street Food Court (above), and 72 food courts elsewhere. — CHAN BOON KAI/The Star
This led Air Itam assemblyman Joseph Ng Soon Siang to wonder why hawker food at public food courts was similarly priced as that at private ones.
Ng raised the matter in his debate on the motion of thanks to the Penang governor’s speech in the recent state assembly sitting which adjourned last week.
He called on local councils to work with Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) to give advisory services to hawkers in government food courts.
Tan says MBPP is discussing the possibility of increasing stall rental fees.He also suggested that, if necessary, the lease renewals of such hawkers could be terminated and instead offered to those willing to charge fairer prices.
Unsurprisingly, hawkers expressed their discontent while consumers, upon discovering how cheap the rentals are, now hope for better prices.
Khor Eng Hong, who has been selling beverages at Cecil Street Food Court for more than 40 years, said the move would be unfair to them.
“The cost of raw items and ingredients is now high as are the increases of water and electricity rates,” he said, adding that many hawkers also had to pay the wages of helpers.
A hawker at Cecil Street Food Court, who wanted to be known only as Cho, told of how some ingredients had to be imported from other states.
He explained that some dishes might need noodles, beansprouts or other condiments sent from Perak or Kedah in order to get the needed texture and flavour.
“So, our ingredient prices are not the same as what you see in the markets,” he said.
A pasembor seller at the Esplanade’s Medan Renong said there were already authorities such as KPDN that look into the prices of food and drinks.
“There are already rules and regulations on this,” said the seller.
Bayan Baru Food Court Association chairman Roy Ang said hawkers in government- owned food courts would not survive if city councils set ceiling prices on what they sold.
“I don’t think they can cope with the current high cost of ingredients.”
Ang said with rental fees, utility bills and wages for workers, the cost of doing business was increasing.
He added that if local councils could do away with stall rentals and bear electricity and water bills, these hawkers might consider selling at lower prices.
Consumers interviewed said that they were looking forward to hawker food in government- owned food courts being sold at lower prices.
Housewife Pat Ooi from Relau said she was surprised after coming to know how low stall rentals were in council food courts.
“I always go to the food courts for breakfast and find some food and drinks to have different prices,” she said.
Businessman Bravo Loo felt government-enforced price controls would foster a greater sense of trust and reliability.
“While some businesses may initially baulk at the idea of standardised and lowered pricing, the potential benefits for customer satisfaction and loyalty cannot be overlooked because it will lead to more consumers patronising public food courts,” he said.
Penang Island City Council (MBPP) licensing and public cleanliness committee chairman Tan Soo Siang said the local council was studying the possibility of increasing stall rental fees.
On the prices of food and beverages, she said it was still under the jurisdiction of KPDN.
She explained that MBPP was in the midst of arranging a meeting with ministry officials for a discussion.
“For now, we are more concerned about those who sub-let their stalls at higher prices to others.”
She said MBPP owned 31 food courts in public markets and 72 food courts elsewhere.
