BINTULU: The decision by the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Office (PPDNKK) to postpone the application for beverage price increase as proposed by Coffeeshop and Restaurant Owners Association has nothing to do with the upcoming state election.
PPDNKK Bintulu never received any instruction from the top management to do so to influence votes in favour of Barisan Nasional in the run up to the state election.
“We asked for the postponement of the price hike as the associations in Kuching and Sibu had already announced their price increase,” said PPDNKK Bintulu chief Mohamad Drahman.
“We do not want to be seen like we are in a race to increase prices of goods almost simultaneously,” he told reporters yesterday.
He was holding a dialogue with the association and the Consumer Rights Protection Association of Malaysia (PPPM) and found that the proposed new price to be too high and suggested that the Coffeeshop and Restaurant Owners Association re-look into their decision to increase price so that consumers would not be burdened.
As such, association chairman Hii Hung Yii was given one to two weeks to reconsider and propose another lower price.
The association proposed to PPDNKK Bintulu for the beverage price to be increased between 15 to 20 per cent effective March 1.
“It came with the price hike in Milo, milk, coffee and sugar. The increase in beverage price needs to be done to avoid losses,” he said.