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KOTA BARU – The floods that hit Kelantan a week ago have seen the supply of local wet goods dwindling and leading to higher prices, while dry food remained stable.
A wet goods dealer in Gua Musang, Fadhli Hamdi Abdullah, 50, said he had to find alternatives outside Kelantan, including from as far as Kuala Lumpur.
“For the past week, we have been facing difficulties because the suppliers are from the Kota Baru area. So we sourced for supplies from Kuala Lumpur, with smaller orders from the original supplier, so prices for fresh produce like fish and vegetables increased,” he said today.
Deputy chairman of the Malaysian Malay Chamber of Commerce’s Kelantan chapter, Asharun Uji, said he had received many complaints.
“Not only complaints about price and supply, but traders are huffing about the lack of customers,” he said.
Asharun said he hoped the government can provide simple grants or one-off aid to traders and hawkers to help them tide things over once floods subside.
On the other hand, a grocery store owner in Gua Musang, Mohd Faisal Mohd Nordin, 39, said supply of dry food was not affected and was still sold at the usual price.
In Terengganu, the situation has been reported as stable, with contingency plans having paid off.
The state’s Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry Director Saharuddin Mohd Kia has guaranteed that food supplies including eggs are still sufficient despite unexpected floods.
Saharuddin said supply was not interrupted despite several main routes, including East Coast Expressway 2, being rendered impassable due to landslides a few days ago.
He said the ministry had earlier given permission to 160 selected district retailers and 74 selected district wholesalers to keep stocks of more than 30% of the amount allowed by their licences.
“It is true that there is a 60% reduction in supply of eggs due to LPT2 connecting Kuala Terengganu and Kuala Lumpur being rendered impassable. But it does not affect supply since all wholesalers were allowed to keep more stocks before the flood,” he said.
Saharuddin said the problem of shortage of petrol or diesel also did not arise even though five petrol stations closed – two in Hulu Terengganu and Besut, and one in Setiu – after a second wave of flooding last Saturday.
“That’s why we created a mobile refuelling service known as ROVR, to provide petrol in locations hit by flooding,” he said. – Bernama, December 22, 2022