Ng (right) who runs a cafe in Johor Baru city centre, does not plan to increase the price of menu items at the moment. — Photos: THOMAS YONG/The Star
THE prices of raw materials may be increasing, but some food and beverage operators in Johor Baru are still trying to hold off raising prices.
Sim Tee Seng, who operates a stall at a coffeeshop in Jalan Trus, Johor Baru, said he was not planning to increase the prices of his traditional snacks such as yam cakes and chwee kueh (steamed rice cake) for now.
“I adjusted my prices before Chinese New Year and I am not planning to do so again for the rest of the year despite costlier raw materials.
“So far, there have been no complaints from my customers as they know I use good quality yam and flour to make my chwee kueh,” the 62-year-old said.
Sim, who has been in the F&B business for 38 years, said he would usually adjust his pricing every one to two years by between 5% and 10%.
Noodle seller Lily Yong has decided to maintain prices at her 38-year-old shop for the sake of her customers, even if it means lower profits.
“The price of raw materials such as charcoal, which I use to heat my stove, as well as meat and noodles have been rising steadily.
“I chose to keep my prices at RM8 to RM18 per bowl, depending on the serving size and meat used.
“I am not planning to make further changes any time soon.
“I just want my customers to be happy and enjoy their meal as many regulars have become my friends,” she added.
Another business owner Edward Ng, who runs a Melbourne-style cafe in the city centre, said he had no plans to increase the price of his items at the moment as his business was just starting to recover from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
When the pandemic started in March 2020, business dropped by at least 90%, said the 31-year-old.
“The situation has started to improve since Malaysian borders reopened on April 1, allowing customers from Singapore to visit again.
“I have not changed my prices since before the pandemic and I have no plans to do so because I think merely increasing will not work.
“Instead, I will think of a different strategy such as introducing new items to the menu or providing options for add-on items to make additional charges more acceptable,” said Ng.
Home-based business owner Raja Nurul Antasha Raja Zaman, 39, said aside from the rising cost of raw materials, petrol and helpers’ wages, she also had to worry about the availability of ingredients, such as flour.
“The flour I usually use costs RM2 to RM2.20 per kg but lately, it has been quite difficult to get my hands on it due to low supply.
“In such situations, I am forced to switch to other brands that can cost up to RM3 per kilogram to fulfil my cake and brownie orders.
“This affects the overall production cost.
“However, I am not increasing my prices for now because as a consumer myself, I understand that such adjustments will be a burden to those who are still recovering financially from the pandemic,” she said.
Not all F&B operators have been able to absorb the increase in prices of raw materials.
Some, like roti canai stall owner Roselaily Jais, 46, has been forced to adjust prices in order to survive.
She has increased the price of her menu items by 20sen to 50sen for the first time in six years.
“My husband, who runs the stall with me, and I decided to increase the price of our roti canai, nasi lemak and drinks a week after Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
“The cost of ingredients such as margarine has gone up by almost RM2 and it would be difficult for us to cover our operating costs if we do not increase our prices.
“The increase is quite reasonable as we have kept prices the same for the past six years before making changes this year,” she said when met at her stall in Kampung Dato Sulaiman Menteri.
When contacted, Malaysia Consumer Justice Association president R. Permal Ramasamy said he hopes the government, particularly the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry, will address the rising cost of living soon.
“We received countless complaints from consumers who lamented that what used to be affordable items such as teh tarik and roti canai have gone up to RM2.50 and RM1.50 respectively.
“Consumers tend to lose out in such situations where they are financially burdened when they choose to eat out as well as when they cook at home,” he said.
