Price of bread up in Sabah?

A consumer group claims that the price of bread has increased in Sabah and wants the federal government to explain the price discrepancy between peninsula and Sabah.

KOTA KINABALU: The newly appointed Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Minister Hassan Malek has a “bread” issue on his desk today.

Consumers in Sabah are crying foul that price of their bread has suddenly gone up while there has been no hike for the same item in the peninsula.

Gardenia Bakeries Sdn Bhd yesterday confirmed there was no hike in the price of bread in peninsula, local newspapers reported here today.

Gardenia however did not comment about bread prices in Sabah and Sarawak.

Sabah consumer body, CAPS, or Consumer Affairs and Protection Society of Sabah, on Wednesday claimed that there has indeed been a hike in prices on bread, including Gardenia’s in Sabah.

CAPS deputy treasurer, Donny Yapp, in a statement said the government must explain why they had allowed a hike in prices in Sabah when there is no necessity to do so in peninsula.

“This is grossly unfair to Sabah consumers as we are already paying a much higher price for all other consumer products and our necessities here.

“We want the authorities concerned to promptly look at things here to protect consumers,” said Yapp who is also heading a consumer committee of another NGO, Borneo Rights International (BRI).

“We have been receiving reports recently from consumers that there has been a price hike for Gardenia’s bread in many towns in Sabah, some reaching 40 sen for a 600 gramme loaf of bread,” he said.

According to Yapp, the 400 gramme bread that previously cost RM2.70 is now being sold in Sabah at RM3.00, while a 600 gramme bread that used to cost RM3.80 is now being sold at RM4.20.

“CAPS continues to receive reports from across the state on the price hike. We do hope Gardenia will look into this matter so as not to burden Sabah consumers unnecessarily and unfairly.

“We are providing Gardenia with samples or pictures of price tags that showed the difference of the prices, now and previously,” Yapp added.