No complaints on quality of supplies from Food Bank Malaysia — Minister 

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PUTRAJAYA: There have been no complaints regarding food supplies distributed under the Food Bank Malaysia programme, said Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

The programme has seen over 650 tonnes of food distributed to 238,000 recipients under the programme since its implementation last August, he said.

“So far there have been no complaints about this project supplying substandard food. This programme gives importance to food quality where we eliminate the good food from that which is not so good.

“I hope this discipline continues to be a priority,” he told reporters after handing over 14 refrigerated trucks to the Yayasan Food Bank Malaysia here yesterday.

He said the 14 refrigerated trucks were an allocation of RM3 million approved by the Finance Ministry recently to facilitate the logistics for the implementation of the programme

Each truck which has a capacity for loading up to one tonne of food supplies, get the items from food suppliers including supermarkets and hotels before moving to selected distribution locations such as university campuses, he said.

Meanwhile, Saifuddin Nasution said the fall in prices was strongly influenced by demand and supply factors as well as the falling prices of basic items.

He said there was no party that could confirm that the prices of goods had gone down because of the boycott or campaign initiated by some quarters.

“He said the price of cooking oil was going down, but whether it goes down or up, it  depends on market forces, if the main source is (palm oil), the price drops, retail prices will fall.

“Or if there is a big demand, it  will depend on demand and supply, this is basic economic theory.

On another matter, Saifuddin Nasution who is also PKR secretary-general, said the request by some party members to have a meeting outside (of the monthly meetings) with party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, was “not a healthy culture”.

“Anwar must stay above and he must be accepted as the party president and the party has the largest number of seats in the government today, it is better for us to respect that position,” he said when commenting on PKR vice-president Zuraida Kamaruddin’s persistence in wanting to meet Anwar with the party’s elected members.

Zuraida had previously sent three letters to Anwar to hold a reconciliation meeting, but claimed that it had not been answered, leaving her unable to attend the party’s Central Leadership Council (MPP) meeting.

Anwar later explained that he had replied to one of the three letters, while the party secretary-general had responded to the other two (letters).

Saifuddin Nasution said he had been instructed by Anwar to respond to the second and third letters sent by Zuraida, and Anwar had guided him by giving pointers on how to reply to the letters.

“All the letters have been answered and the schedule of political bureau meetings have been attached, just in case they forget,” added Saifuddin. — Bernama