KOTA KINABALU: Stringent checks on sundry shops mainly operated by foreigners in rural areas should be carried out to ensure subsidised goods are not sold indiscriminately at high prices, says Parti Warisan vice-president Terrence Siambun.
He said there have been cases where unscrupulous traders and suppliers have been manipulating the prices especially to the lower income groups living in the suburbs of major towns and rural areas in Sabah.
“I have received complaints by villagers on the issue of foreign-operated sundry shops in the suburbs and rural areas selling essential goods such as cooking oil, rice, sugar and flour at much higher prices despite being controlled goods," he said.
There are instances of these sundry shops selling subsidised one litre plastic cooking oil at RM3.50 per packet instead of selling at RM2.50.
"The question now arises as to whether the sundry shop operators are making huge profits out of this or whether they got their stocks from suppliers at a much higher price. If it is the suppliers, who are these people," he said.
He urged the state government and relevant departments and agencies to ensure prices of goods in Sabah remained stable.
He said constant monitoring will protect consumers in Sabah, especially the lower income group residing at suburbs and rural areas in Sabah from these unscrupulous traders or suppliers who will manipulate the supply and demand mechanism.
He said such action to constantly monitor would also help ensure that there were no severe shortages of subsidised goods as happened last year when cooking oil was in severe shortage.
Another Warisan vice-president Dr Daud Yusof also called on the government to take measures to ensure vegetable prices remained stable, especially with the current wet season.
He said vegetable prices could increase due to the rainy season that could trigger floods.
The government must engage with producers and farm operators to ensure that the prices do not spike, said Dr Daud, who is a Bongowan assemblyman.
"Our concern is that if heavy rain continues till the end of the year, then this will disrupt the vegetable yield. Worst, if flooding this year is more destructive to the point of destroying vegetable farms and logistics networks, then prices of vegetables will soar,” he said, adding that even farmers will have difficulty recuperating their losses.
