Big price hike in Little India – Star Metro, Wed, 9 July 2008
Story and photos by ELAN PERUMAL
The cost of two pieces of capati and a glass of teh tarik, which used to cost about RM4, has shot up to more than RM5.
The Klang Consumers Association (KCA) is obviously fuming over the recent indiscriminate price increase by the operators of food outlets.
According to KCA chairman A. Devadass, it is certainly unreasonable to charge RM5.20 for two pieces of capati and a glass of teh tarik for breakfast, but that is what the food stalls are doing.
Devadass said the price of a piece of idli (rice flour dumpling) had gone up from 70sen to 90sen and it was the same case with string hoppers (putumayam).
“A customer who eats three pieces of any of those stuff with a glass of tea or coffee will have to pay RM4.20 for their breakfast whereas they would have paid less than RM3 earlier,” he said.
“The price of thosai has increased from RM1.20 to RM1.50 per piece and a glass of fresh milk is going for RM1.90 from RM1.70 earlier,” Devadass told StarMetro.
According to the revised price list issued by the Klang Little India Traders Association, a banana leaf rice meal with chicken is priced at RM8.80, while the mutton meal costs RM9.30.
Devadass said the KCA had received numerous complaints from consumers on the higher prices imposed by the food outlet operators and he had filed an official complaint with the Domestic Trade and Consumers Association.
He said the escalating costs of essential items like foodstuff had badly hit consumers, especially the low-wage earners.
“The consumers said that breakfast for a family of four, including two children, costs about RM15. A main meal for the family costs up to RM30,” he said.
This means that just the three basic meals of breakfast, lunch and dinner for a family of four would cost at least RM75 a day.
Devadass said although the petrol price had increased by 41%, there was no justification for the doubling of the price of the simple foodstuff such as capati, thosai, idli and string hoppers.
Kampung Jawa resident S. Taneermala, 58, said she had no choice but to pay whatever price for her meals since there was nothing consumers could do about the situation.
“When I’m hungry, I need to eat and the price is something I have no control over. I had to pay whatever is asked,” she said.
There is something we as consumers can do. We can eat out less often. Eatiing-in is the best way to cut down on food bill.
Eating out may cost RM15 for a family of four including two children as pointed out above. For my family of six, with a jumbo roll of bread (which we can’t finish in one breakfast), spread such as kaya and margarine, breakfast costs less than RM5 or slightly more if you factor in the beverage.
Lunch need not be expensive either. Today I prepared pineapple fried rice using the extra rice I cooked yesterday.
- Fresh pineapple – RM2
- two Chinese sausages – RM2
- some beans and 2 eggs – RM1
- rice, garlic, oil etc – say RM2
- Total RM7 for four people.
Home-cooked dinners can be dished up for less than RM20. Today’s menu to feed six -
- one kampung chicken – RM13.50
- baked beans with eggs – RM2.50
- stir-fried cabbage – RM1.50
- rice – RM2
- Total RM19.50
One dish meals can even be cheaper. Eg. stewed pork meehoon only cost RM12. One tin stewed pork – RM8, sawi – RM1, meehoon – RM2, oil, onions etc – RM1.
What are you waiting for? Cook-lah!
Cooking is definitely cheaper and healthier too. I’m not sure though how baked beans goes with stir-fried cabbage!
Lydia,
Looks like Wok With Kok has to come on air again. haha!
Definitely it’s cheaper to cook at home but sometimes, some of the working people only reach home about 7 or 8pm. It’s too tired to cook after a whole day work. Or maybe I should say, too lazy… hehe.
people like us can cook la(soho)! but for those working couple macam mana?
I cook even before the price hike!! Just so expensive to eat out and getting to the place and park the car is already A BIG PROBLEM here!
tunkuhalim, baked beans taste fine with stir-fried cabbage or any other vegetables for that matter. It’s very versatile
kok, blinka.li, working people also can cook. One way is to dump everything into crock pot in the morning, when come home got piping hot meal to eat, just cook rice or noodles only. My ex-colleagues cooked though they hold full time jobs. One of them is a mother of two. She goes to market in the morning and brings her veg to the office. She keeps it in the pantry fridge till going-home time. The other, a single lady, loves to eat vegetables and would steam or boil a whole bunch of them for dinner. If there’s a will, there’s a way
Don’t have to cook every day, as it can be pretty tiring. Weekends is a good time to cook, plus maybe a day or two on weekdays. Good to cut out all that msg from outside food too.
aiyor…. making me hungry ady.. hahaha…
I know nuts about cooking! How to cook? Maybe should start learning.
The other day went to Izzi Restaurant for dinner because they have 50% discount promotion. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I looked at the prices. Even after 50% discount, I still think it’s too expensive. Why people still go there? I’m surprise people can eat at such a place and then come out and complain about the petrol price hike.
spiffy, quick, drink lots of water to mask the hunger pangs.
foongpc, you’ve got to start somewhere. Don’t despair, if there’s a will, there’s a way. I have two friends who were like you – they know absolutely zilch about cooking. But once they decided they wanted to learn, they went for lessons, asked friends to teach them, and now they’re like pros. Start with something simple first and don’t be afraid to try. I’ve asked my teenagers to cook, sometimes without proper coaching – and though the dish didn’t turn out perfect, it was still okay and edible. Cooking is something that can be perfected with practice.
Izzi KL, I had the privilege to dine there recently, very nice food but luckily didn’t have to pay. Samsung was the sponsor