Aidilfitri: Public advised against overbuying - Zawawi

KOTA BHARU: The public has been advised against over-buying of essential food items during the Aidilfitri festive season to avoid supply shortage.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry II Datuk Dr Nik Muhammad Zawawi Salleh, however, gave the assurance that there is sufficient supply of essential items in the market to meet the demand for the Aidilfitri celebration.

"The ministry has discussed with chicken producers and meat importers, and they are prepared to cooperate in ensuring adequate food supply during the festive season.

"We do not want consumers to buy chicken for a month supply because their children are home for the Eid celebration. This should not happen, just buy what is needed for Hari Raya," he told reporters at the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority's (FAMA) Semarak Syawal Programme at the Rural Transformation Centre (RTC) near Tunjong, here today.

Nik Muhammad Zawawi, who is Pasir Puteh Member of Parliament, also advised the public to get their daily necessities at the My Best Buy Carnival Raya Programme at the797 marketing outlets nationwide.

Consumers get to enjoy a 10 to 20 percent discount on the price of goods at the carnival, he added.

Meanwhile, when asked to comment on a viralled video on a claim by chicken traders that there will be shortage of chicken supply for the Aidilfitri celebration, he did not rule out the possibility of some areas facing shortage of the chicken supply.

-- BERNAMA