BUKIT MERTAJAM, April 6 — The Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry (KPDNHEP) in Penang has refuted claims that there has been a shortage of chicken egg supply in the state for the past one week.

Its director, Mohd Ridzuan Ab Ghafar said that based on his team’s monitoring of the situation, the supply of chicken eggs was sufficient during Ramadan, especially to meet the high demand for eggs from traders and entrepreneurs of Raya cookies and cakes.

“If consumers or members of the public are unable to get their chicken egg supply or chicken in the state, they can lodge complaints with the Penang KPDNHEP so that immediate action can be taken. However, for now, based on our monitoring, there is no shortage (of eggs),” he told reporters after ‘Ops Pantau’ at the Perda Mosque Ramadan bazaar here today.

He said this when asked to comment on a newspaper report on chicken egg wholesalers in Penang being worried about the decline in supply and concerned that they could not meet the demand of half of its regular customers.

Advertisement

A chicken egg wholesaler in the Southwest district who wanted to be known only as Zul, 42, was reported to have said that he had to give priority to his regular clientele, namely sundry shops, public markets, supermarkets as well as bakers, but was limiting the number of orders.

Meanwhile, Mohd Ridzuan said his team did not receive any complaints regarding the increase in the price of chicken which was set at RM8.90 per kilogramme, as what happened in several other states during the month of Ramadan due to high demand from consumers.

“Thus far, we observe that the selling price of chicken is according to the set price...KPDNHEP enforcement will monitor the situation from time to time to ensure traders follow the set prices and do not raise prices,” he said.

Advertisement

In the meantime, he said a total of 121 Penang KPDNHEP enforcement officers were involved in ‘Op Pantau’ at 74 Ramadan bazaars in the state during Ramadan at locations that are the focus of consumers.

He said similar operations were also carried out at wet markets, farmers’ markets, night markets, supermarkets, and sundry shops to ensure consumers will be able to buy food and their daily necessities at reasonable prices, without any profiteering by traders.

“From April 3 until yesterday, a total of 749 premises were inspected and there were two cases in which action was taken under the Weights and Measures Act 1972 and the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 involving a compound value of RM700,” he added. — Bernama