KUALA LUMPUR (Politics Now!) - Malaysians love their rice and don't anyone be foolish enough to come between them and their daily fix of this staple. It doesn't matter if the rice is nasi lemak (boiled in coconut milk) or chicken rice or just plain white rice - take their platter away and you're asking for trouble of the very major kind!
The recent 30% jump in the price of imported white rice came as a jolt to the nation. While experts and pundits raged at how Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was doing "practically nothing" to safeguard the nation's food security or keep inflation at bay, imported white rice jumped from RM2,350 per metric tonne to RM3,200 in August - this even as locally grown white rice was suddenly found to be 'missing' and 'short in supply'!
But while nobody really went without their fave platter, many were really worried they might have to eat less (the gluttonous camp) or pay more (the stingy group) or both (the greedy and the stingy, or in other words, all the rest of the populace!).
In any case, the scare has sparked a self-reflection of sorts amongst the people and here's a rundown on how things stand, using data from the government's much criticized Statistics Department’s F&B consumer price index - utilising the average growth rate of prices from January to August this year.
So, which states have the highest increase in food prices? Out of 8 of Malaysia's 14 states that were assessed, Selangor suffered the highest price increase, followed by Sarawak; Pahang; Perak; Penang; Melaka; Negri Sembilan and surprise, surprise Johor - which showed the least price increase despite its proximity to rich city-state Singapore !
Here is a rundown compiled by Su-Wei Ho for MyPF:
Selangor
It is no surprise that Selangor takes the top place on this list: from January to August, food and beverage prices experienced a growth rate of 7.1% compared with 2022.
Selangor houses the biggest population in Malaysia (7.2 million) and is a primary centre of employment. Many are attracted by the new as well as existing sectors and jobs here and in neighbouring Kuala Lumpur.
While there are no breakdowns on the specific food items driving the increase, people in Selangor will likely be seeing their favourite restaurants and supermarkets charging higher prices.
Sarawak
With an average price growth of 7.1% compared with last year, the Land of the Hornbills ties with Selangor.
Sarawak recorded the third-highest absolute poverty rate of 12.9% in 2020, up from around 9% in 2019. While this could be attributed to the pandemic, the sharp increase in food prices may pose a serious threat to many Sarawakians.
Zeroing in on the state’s favourite noodle dish, kolo mee, wheat prices have been high owing to the war in Russia and Ukraine. Pork prices have also increased sharply, as an outbreak of African swine flu wiped out much of the pig population in Sarawak last year.
Pahang
The biggest state in peninsular Malaysia, Pahang saw an F&B price increase of 5.9% between January and August.
Being in the middle of the peninsula, with dense forests and rough terrain, it costs a bit more to transport food from seaports to various areas in this state.
Similar to Sarawak, the increase in prices is detrimental to the poverty situation in Pahang, the rate of which was 8.8% in 2020.
Luckily, Cameron Highlands generates a lot of vegetable produce, but the spike in fertiliser prices because of the Russia-Ukraine war has made costs higher for many farmers here.
Perak
Ah, Perak, home to many local favourites. Unfortunately, food prices increased by 5.7% this year. Meanwhile, Perak’s poverty rate was a whopping 11.4% in 2020.
Ipoh’s most well-known dish is arguably beansprout chicken. Last year, the price of chicken increased owing to a rise in animal feed prices – again, a consequence of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Penang
Oh, no, will char kuey teow and laksa be more expensive? Penang makes the list with an average price growth of 5.6%.
Fortunately, as of 2020, its poverty rate was relatively low at 3.3%.
Still, this should not be taken lightly: being an industrial hub, Penang is one of the key states in terms of employment. Coupled with sky-high property prices, this increase in food costs may prove to be a double whammy for Penangites.
Melaka
The heritage state registered an average F&B price growth of 5.5% from January to August. As of 2020, the poverty rate was a high 6.1%.
As such, Melakans would do well to monitor their spending – even, sadly, if it revolves around their delicious satay celup.
Negeri Sembilan
Home to the delicious Seremban siew pau, food prices in Negeri Sembilan saw an average growth of 5.5% for the corresponding period, with the poverty rate at a high 6.8% as of 2020.
Johor From January to August, this southern state averaged a price growth of 5.3%.
Notably, the situation here is unique, given the influx of Singaporean tourists crossing the border: their strong purchasing power may have contributed to a sharp price increase for many foods.
While Johoreans welcome the money, it isn’t doing them any favours when it comes to the rising cost of living. - Edited by Stan Lee, Politics Now!
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