PETALING JAYA: Bread now costs 20 to 30 sen more per loaf, and toll charges may be raised again next year. All over the country, Malaysians are paying more for popular local fare like char kuay teow and roti canai.
Prices are increasing across the board for items and commodities essential for a modern lifestyle. Toll on the Damansara-Puchong Expressway (LDP), for example, has increased this year from RM1 to RM1.60.
While this may be a worrying situation for Malaysia, it is hardly a localised phenomenon but one that is happening globally.
The immediate concern to Malaysians, however, is the effect on their wallets.
According to the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI), prices have increased by 2% from January to September. The highest increase was in alcoholic beverages and tobacco (7.3%) and food and non-alcoholic beverages (2.8%).
The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP), however, feels the CPI does not reflect the true situation.
“The CPI deals with averages but most consumers will dispute this figure.
“Consumers can tell you prices have gone up by more than 2%,” said CAP president S.M. Mohamed Idris.
Razak Hamzah, 43, and his wife Siti Ruhayu, 37, who have three school-going children, know for a fact that the price of their purchases has gone up significantly.
They, like many other families, really feel the pinch when it comes to basic necessities like Milo, milk, flour, cooking oil and chicken.