Supply of essential goods in Kelantan not affected by floods

TUMPAT: There is adequate supply of essential goods for residents in Kelantan even though the state has been hit by a major flood, said Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Hasan Malek.
He said the ministry had previously held several series of meetings with the parties involved such as producers, wholesalers and retailers to ensure supply was not affected.
"Through such engagements, I have been promised that there will be sufficient supply of basic necessities such as cooking oil.
"I have also met other parties such as supermarket operators and they also agreed to provide food assistance to evacuation centres," he told a media conference after launching the 2014 Pengkalan Kubor Community Franchise Programme here today.
The flood situation in Kelantan had taken a turn for the worse with the number of victims climbing to 19,715 at noon today compared to 18,812 people in the morning.
So far, four people have died due to floods in the state, with one each in Tanah Merah, Tumpat, Kuala Krai and Kota Baru since the second wave of floods hit the state on Dec 16.
In this regard, Hasan also urged consumers to report if there were traders taking advantage of the situation to raise prices of goods.
"Report if you are suspicious of price hike. Furnish accurate information and we will send our officers to investigate.
"If the trader was found infringing trade regulations, we will not hesitate to take stern action," he said.
Apart from that, Hasan said the ministry was planning to set up a suitable mechanism for the ceiling prices of basic goods in times of flood. – Bernama