'Pasar Rakyat' helps people dealing with price hike - Exco

The existence of 'Pasar Rakyat' (people's market) in Terengganu has helped the public in dealing with the uncertain price hike of necessity goods at the moment, said State Exco for Agriculture, Agro-based Industry, Plantations and Commodities Datuk Muhammad Pehimi Yusof.

He said people had been interested in buying the goods at 'pasar rakyat' as the prices offered were lower than the market price and this helped them to ease their burden.

"For instance, the second Pasar Rakyat held in Kampung Nyiur Tujuh here today has received an overwhelming response from the residents (nearby) when two-tonne of cooking oil, sugar and wheat flour had been sold in just an hour this morning.

"In addition, the 1.5-tonne of various (frozen) fish such as mackerel, 'selayang' (sardine), 'cencaru' and 'tongkol' which had been packed and branded as Q'Fish, produced by National Fishermen's Association (Nekmat), managed to be sold to members of the public at a lower price than usual," he told reporters after launching the 'Pasar Rakyat' here today.

Muhammad Pehimi said the RM5 subsidy on cooking oil, sugar and wheat flour which were sold at RM10 per pack had also attracted over 1,500 people to come to the market to purchase the items.

Meanwhile, Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia (LKIM) Marketing Division director Yahya Mohamad encouraged the public to buy the frozen fish supplied by Nekmat should the prices of fresh fish in the market go up in the wake of Aidilfitri celebration.

The frozen fish could be obtained at Putrajaya MyFarm Outlet (REPEAT: MyFarm Outlet) daily at RM8.50 per kilogramme, as well as 'pasar tani' and at selected 1Malaysia People's Shop (KR1M) at not more RM10 per kilogramme, he said.

-- BERNAMA