IN his latest stunt, Sungai Besar Umno division chief Jamal Md Yunos has blamed the opposition for being the cause of costlier fresh fish by conspiring with middlemen.

To make his point, he organised a fish market outside the Ampang Umno division office this morning, where more than five tonnes of fish from the mackerel family – kembung, cencaru, mabong, and sardines – were sold for a mere RM5 per kg.

A long queue of customers, mostly Malay residents from the area, had formed as early as 7am even though the sale only started at 9am. Within an hour, the kembung or Indian Mackerel, had sold out.

Jamal, who founded the red shirts movement and is known for his bizarre protests against the opposition, blamed the DAP for conspiring with middlemen to increase the price of fish as a ploy ahead of the 14th general elections.

“We bought all these fish wholesale at RM4.80 per kg, so how is it that in the market it is marked up to RM20 per kg?

“It should not be more than RM10 per kg as this is the fish common people eat, but the price is high because of middlemen engaging in politics. The price increase of fish has been made into political fodder,” he said.

He denied fishing for votes or campaigning for Umno when asked, but a banner put up this morning was clear:

“The price of fish is expensive because of middlemen, but who are they? They are DAP’s ‘fish towkays’ (To make the people angry with the BN government),” the banner said in Bahasa.

Jamal’s face as well as the blue-and-white Barisan Nasional logo and the Umno logo, were also clearly visible on the plastic bags buyers used to pack their fish in.

About 2,500 people turned up this morning. Among them, 52-year-old Yuslini Mirhad and Rokiah Saad, 65, gushed that it was too good an opportunity to be missed despite having to queue up two hours before the sale started.

“This is very good, because where else can you get fresh fish this cheap, especially kembung. At the market it is between RM16-RM20 per kg,” said Yuslini.

Rokiah, who said she had not bought fresh ikan kembung in a while, said it was a timely programme to help people face the rising cost of living.

The price of ikan kembung, once known as the poor man’s fish, now ranges between RM16 and RM20 per kg at different locations. Fishmongers have attributed the price increase to the goods and services tax (GST) and petrol prices.

Prior to the GST, which was introduced in April 2015, ikan kembung which is used as the benchmark for the pricing of other types of fish, was RM8 per kg at the market, and its price increase has prompted the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumer Ministry to consider placing it on the list of price-controlled items.

Jamal said he plans to organise weekly fresh fish markets in Sekinchan every Sunday where kembung, cencaru, mabong and sardines will be sold at RM5 per kg. Each customer will be limited to 2 kg.

His first fish market in Sekinchan was held last Sunday. Other venues, such as today’s market in Ampang, will be according to a roadshow schedule.

Sekinchan is a state seat held by DAP in the Sungai Besar parliamentary seat, where Jamal was tipped to be candidate for the 14th general election, although he has denied it.

It cost between RM25,000 to RM30,000 to organised one fish market, Jamal said, which includes buying the fish at wholesale prices. – September 30, 2017.