ALOR STAR: LOW rubber prices are causing much hardship to tappers living on the outskirts of Kedah.
Things are getting tougher for rural folks in Sik and Baling, where most households are dependent on the commodity for their income, following the hike in price of essential goods since last month.
Traders claimed they were forced to hike up prices as suppliers had been charging them more following another round of fuel subsidy rationalisation last month.
Checks at a number of grocery shops in both districts showed traders had hiked up the price of basic goods, such as flour, sugar, cooking oil, eggs and cooking gas, between 10 sen and RM2 per item.
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“Prices will further increase next year,” claimed a sundry shop operator in Sik.
This particular shop is selling government-subsidised flour at RM1.50 per kg, although the packaging stated that its selling price was RM1.35 per kg.
Unscrupulous traders and service providers in rural areas have even started using the Goods and Services Tax, due for implementation only in April next year, to justify the artificial price hikes.
Life is tough for Ahmad Mustakim, 50, a rubber tapper with five children from Sik.
He is one of the many rubber tappers in the state’s rural areas who had been hit hard by the commodity’s price drop since 2012, which is now hovering between RM1.70 and RM1.80 per kg compared with RM5 per kg in 2010.
Ahmad makes a meagre RM90 per week.
This situation is piling pressure not only on low-income earners, but also foodstall operators.
Zarinah Abu Bakar, 38, who operates an eatery in Gulau, a town 30km from Sik, said her profit margin was fast shrinking. She said the cost of her weekly cooking material had gone up from RM350 to RM450.
“Most customers are villagers who depend on tapping rubber for their livelihood. I cannot simply hike up the price of my food as it will affect my business, so I have to bear with it.”
Villagers said they hoped that the government would set up more Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia (KR1M) in the area to ease their burden.
Jeneri assemblyman Mahadzir Abdul Hamid urged the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry to review the terms to set up KR1M outlet.
He said requirements like start-up capital and minimum space were beyond the reach of rural folks.
“KR1M is a good initiative by the government but we need to have more such outlets in rural areas. I hope the ministry will relax the cost and other terms to set up KR1M outlets here because many people cannot afford to travel to hypermarkets in major towns to get cheaper goods.”
Mahadzir also urged the ministry to review the supply chain system of essential items to rural areas to curb profiteering.
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