KUALA LUMPUR: The retail price of grade A, B and C eggs across the country will be reduced by three sen per egg effective today.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said in a statement today that the retail price for grade A, B and C chicken eggs will be 42 sen, 40 sen and 38 sen respectively.
He said the provision of subsidies of 10 sen per chicken egg involves an expenditure of RM100 million, and in 2023, the government spent RM927 on subsidies for chicken eggs.
"The retail price of eggs in Sabah, Sarawak and the Federal Territory of Labuan will also be adjusted according to the gazetted zones and divisions.
"I want to emphasise that the issues related to the cost of living will continue to be addressed by the government in a more proactive and effective manner, while striving to mitigate the adverse impacts on the daily lives of the people," he said.
Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, added that the government had also maintained the price of bottled palm cooking oil at RM6.90 (1kg), RM13.30 (2kg), RM19.60 (3kg), and RM30.90 (5kg), despite the global crude palm oil (CPO) prices rising above the threshold price of RM3,890 per metric tonne.
For example, he said, the price for a bottle of 5kg cooking oil could increase to RM33-RM35 with the CPO prices in March and April, at RM4,215 per metric tonne, and RM4,256 per metric tonne respectively.
Meanwhile, the government had expanded Ops Tiris to curb the smuggling and misuse of controlled items, namely refined white sugar (coarse and fine), 1 kg polybagged cooking oil, RON95 petrol, and liquefied petroleum gas.
As of June 14, a total of RM12,956,089.96 worth of controlled items have been seized, with diesel being the most smuggled and diverted controlled item.
This Ops Tiris 3.0, he added, was as a result of the positive outcomes and developments from previous operations, which began on March 1 last year.
Through previous Ops Tiris, the government had seized 6,441,118 litres of diesel worth RM14,208,824.00.
"The Madani Government remains committed to addressing diesel smuggling while striving to balance supply issues and the cost of living for the people.
"Subsidies are not being abolished; instead, the focus is on ensuring more efficient subsidy management, preventing leakage, and directing subsidies to the rightful groups.
"The government still has to bear around RM7 billion for diesel subsidies in Peninsular Malaysia," said Anwar.
He added that the primary goal of the targeted diesel subsidy was to prevent wasteful subsidies and ensure savings are returned to the wider population.
"Savings from this targeted subsidy will be reinvested into education, healthcare, public transportation, and other sectors that have the greatest impact on the public."