SIBU: The Sibu Coffee Shop and Restaurant Owner Association will continue to give away packs of cooking oil to the Menu Ramah participating outlets.
Its chairman Tong Ing Kok said that it is the association’s effort to ensure that the public especially those from the low income can still enjoy RM5 Menu Rahmah rice dish despite the hike in the price of imported rice.
“We will continue giving packs of cooking oil to the participating outlets as an incentive for them to maintain the Menu Rahmah,” he said when contacted today.
Tong said that the recent hike in the price of imported rice should not be an excuse for them to stop offering Menu Rahmah.
“Participating outlets can still use local white rice as the price is capped at RM2.60 per kg,” he added.
Padiberas Nasional Bhd (Bernas) recently announced that the price of imported white rice had increased by 36 per cent to RM3,200 from RM2,350 per metric tonne from last Friday.
The price increase was caused by, among others, falling harvests in rice-exporting countries due to climate change and a weakening ringgit.
These factors were also compounded by the ban on exports by India, the world’s largest rice exporter.
Tong also urged the eateries not to use the more expensive imported rice as an excuse to raise the price of their rice dish.
“Do not after learning that the price of imported rice has increased that you also have to up the price of your rice dish. Maintain the current price so as not to burden the people,” he said.
Tong said eateries should let the government do all it can to solve the current situation where the price of imported rice has soared.
“Do not be too drastic to increase the price of your rice dish as the government is looking into the matter,” he said.
