Zainab Kanellopoulou, who runs several stalls selling mixed rice in Dengkil, Selangor, said prices of several signature dishes had gone up slightly.
Dishes such as mud creepers, stingrays, beef and lamb, which are a hit among her customers, cost between 50sen and RM1.50 more now.
Although operating expenses have gone up, she prefers to absorb the costs to keep her dishes affordable.
“I will not sell dishes using ingredients that have become too expensive because I don’t want to overcharge my customers,” she said.
Zainab and her 11 workers prepare 25 dishes daily during the fasting month, in addition to kuih such as popia carbonara and otak-otak.
She has spent about RM1,500 on ingredients bought from Pasar Borong Selangor in Seri Kembangan.
Home-based trader Norazilah Md Karim who sells traditional kuih in Selayang has increased the prices of her treats.
This is because she has switched to higher quality ingredients this year.
Her karipap, kuih koci and tepung pelita are priced at 70sen, 90sen and RM1.60 per piece respectively, which is an increase of between 10sen and 20sen from last year.
“I take orders via WhatsApp and have built a network of regular customers over the years, mostly among neighbours and local surau community.
“When people place orders, I explain that I have raised prices because I have begun using more premium flour and sugar,” she said.
In anticipation of higher household spending in the fasting month, Ops Pantau 2026 was launched to guard against excessive profiteering.
An initiative by the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry, it was to carry out monitoring and enforcement on supply and prices of essential goods such as chicken, cooking oil, eggs, sugar and flour.
This was meant to prevent unreasonable price hikes or misleading promotions in markets, bazaars and online platforms.
Ops Pantau 2025 recorded some 70,000 inspections with over 390 cases filed amounting to RM42,000 worth of seizures. — By FARID WAHAB
