Wednesday January 9, 2008
Sticky oil, flour crises averted
By SARBAN SINGH and DHARMENDER SINGH
SEREMBAN: A day after the Government decided to flood the market with 70,000 tonnes of cooking oil to resolve shortage, millers have agreed to increase production to address the lack of general-purpose flour in the market, said Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shafie Apdal.
He said consumers did not have to worry about any impending crisis, as the situation was well under control.
“There will be no shortage of roti canai at least ... that I can assure you,” he told reporters after briefing representatives from government agencies, villages and non-governmental organisations on the recent increase in the prices of goods.
Citing an example, he said representatives from the Federal Flour Mills in a meeting yesterday morning had agreed to immediately increase their monthly output of general-purpose flour from 9,400 tonnes to 11,000 tonnes per month.
The country’s 10 millers produced an average of 74,774 tonnes of flour every month last year. Of the amount, 25.2% was general-purpose flour.
“One of the reasons for the shortage was that millers were producing more non-general-purpose flour, due to higher demand. But this matter will be resolved,” Shafie said.
Non-general-purpose flour costs between RM2.60 and RM2.90 per kilo while general-purpose flour is RM1.35 per kilo.
The Malaysian Indian Restaurant Owners’ Association and Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners' Association claimed on Monday that there was a massive shortage of general-purpose flour in the market, and this had led to suppliers increasing the price of a 25kg bag by between RM5 and RM15.
Some of their members were convinced that the shortage was artificial. Asked if there was any truth in this, Shafie answered in the affirmative but refused to delve further.
“There may be a few irresponsible people but like I said, the millers have agreed to increase the production of general-purpose flour. Consumers will get their supply,” he said.
He said the ministry’s checks showed recent media reports of a flour shortage to be inaccurate.
He said checks at a hypermarket reported in newspapers to have run out of stock revealed that the hypermarket had failed to order the flour.
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