PETALING JAYA: A total of 7,057 workers lost their jobs in April, an increase from 5,855 in March, said the Economy Ministry.
Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said this still represented a decrease from the beginning of the year.
"In January, 10,658 workers lost their jobs... and 2,260 in February. The ministry will continue to give attention to the matter," he said during a global supply crisis briefing on Monday (May 25).
"Efforts include ensuring the Employment Insurance System (SIP) and employment protection schemes under PERKESO work efficiently to protect jobs and assist those in need," he added.
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Akmal Nasrullah also said PETRONAS has guaranteed that the country will have enough oil supply until the end of July.
"The average price of Brent crude oil for May 18 to 22 reached US$111.67 per barrel, an increase of 1.7% from US$109.85 the previous week.
"Brent crude oil prices last week remained above US$100 per barrel, which drove up transportation costs and consumer prices.
"This reflects the global energy market’s continued volatility amid ongoing geopolitical risks," he said.
He pointed out that domestic food prices from May 18 up to Thursday (May 21) remained under control, within a range of -2% to +3.6%.
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"The average price of chicken is now RM9.57 per kg, while beef fell 2% to RM38.45 per kg. Sawi rose 3.6% to RM7.80 per kg.
"Some food premises offer prices below these averages, but the ministry will continue monitoring and strengthen enforcement in case prices breach the average mark," he added.
Akmal Nasrullah encouraged the public to use the PriceCatcher app to check on the prices for certain items.
He said the information is also publicly accessible on the ministry dashboard.
