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PETALING JAYA: The head of a local hypermarket chain has urged the government to be transparent in the awarding of approved permits to import whole chickens.
Mydin hypermarket managing director Ameer Ali Mydin said his company has applied for approved permits to import whole chickens but has yet to receive a response.
Ameer, who is also a vice-president of the Malaysia Retailers Association, said other retailers have also informed him that they did not get any APs despite the government’s announcement that it would allow more imports.
An official for another hypermarket who declined to be named said their company also applied for an AP to import whole chickens but was rejected.
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“To date, there has been no word from the government. It has been a month. We meet all the requirements,” Ameer told FMT.
“We have no idea who is getting the APs to import whole chickens. If retailers can get the AP, then we can bring in the chickens directly and sell them at a lower price rather than having to go through third parties,” said Ameer.
“When it comes to essentials, it is not just the importing of whole chickens that require APs. There are also APs to import chicken parts and cabbage.”
On Dec 4, Putrajaya announced it would allow companies to import whole frozen chickens of up to 10,000 metric tonnes or 5.5 million chickens per month until February to address shortages.
Then, the agriculture and food industries ministry said that those who want to import frozen chickens must be registered with the Companies Commission of Malaysia and have cold storage facilities.
It also said imports will only be allowed from countries and slaughterhouses that have been approved by the government.
Ameer said if the government wants to bring down the prices of goods, it should do away with APs or at least give APs to more retailers.
Under the government’s price control scheme, the retail price of chicken was set at RM9.10 per kg. The scheme, which poultry farmers say has led to huge losses, comes to an end on Feb 4.
FMT has contacted the Department of Veterinary Services for comment. - FMT
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