PUTATAN – The purchasing of subsidised oil packets from middlemen cause the commodity to be sold at RM5 at the Putatan General Market, here.
However, since the issue became viral on social media recently, sellers in the market have not sold the oil packs as they were worried that it would further burden the people.
A seller Karlin Jimmy, 36, admitted that it was difficult to get packeted oil and the prices obtained from suppliers were expensive, causing it to be sold for almost double the original price.
"Ever since the bottled cooking oil prices increased, oil packs have been harder to obtain and even when it was obtainable, the price had increased.
"Previously, we could sell the oil at RM3.50 per packet but now we are forced to sell them at RM5 as one box were priced at up to RM70 from suppliers, not even from manufacturers or distributors," she said when interviewed here on Wednesday.
She said since the issue went viral on social media last week it caused all sellers in the market to refuse to sell it.
"The high prices sparked complaints from customers and because of that we did not take new stocks or sell them anymore," she said.
Meanwhile in a separate issue, egg seller Rumia Parsin, 38, said the supply of eggs have been reduced since last week in the state.
"Usually, we would get supplies of 500 trays of eggs from factories or distributors daily however, since last week we have gotten supplies around 150 to 200 trays.
"We are forced to limit the sale of eggs, especially to restaurants even though they are regular customers," she said.