THE increase in vegetable prices is not as extreme as reported, said the deputy domestic trade and consumer affairs minister in Parliament today.

Rosol Wahid said: “Enforcement officers did not find any evidence of a 200% price hike on vegetables.”

“We have tried to verify the information provided by the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP), which cannot tell us where these drastic increase in vegetable prices are.

“It is merely hearsay,” he said, during the ministry’s winding-up speech on Supply Bill 2022.

He said though vegetables prices have gone up, they are not as high as reported.

“If consumers come across such hikes, they should contact us so we can check to see if there is profiteering.”

On increase in Gardenia bread prices, Rosol said the ministry is investigating the matter.

“As of now, we have not been informed about the price hike on December 1.”

He was responding to various lawmakers who asked about the increase in vegetable prices.

On Tuesday, CAP president Mohideen Abdul Kader said checks showed that there has been an up to 200% rise in the prices of some vegetables in the past two weeks.

Retailers said distributors and wholesalers have warned them that the prices of other vegetables may also go up in coming weeks, he added.

Reportedly, vegetables that have price hikes are broccoli from RM8/kg to RM20/kg, cauliflower (RM7/kg to RM16/kg) and sawi pendek (RM3/kg to RM9/kg).

Parliament has, via voice votes, approved the budgets of three ministries today, namely agriculture (RM4.8 billion), domestic trade (RM1.15 billion) and tourism (RM1.14 billion). – November 25, 2021.