Kuala Lumpur, Jan 15 -Amid complaints over rising prices, there are still shop owners who try their best to keep prices of daily groceries affordable to the average Malaysian.
Checks by Bernama revealed that the Chow Kit wet market here is still the place to go for prices that will not hurt the pockets of KLites.
Asked how products could be sold cheaper than other wet markets in the city, most shop owners said they purchased the produce directly from growers and the fish came directly from fishermen in Selangor and Pahang.
“This shows that buying directly from the source can help keep prices low and affordable,” said Suriyana Jaafar, 44, who operates a vegetable store at the market.
Frozen mackerel (ikan kembong) is sold for between RM8 and RM10 per kilogramme (kilo), depending on the size while fresh ones are sold at RM9 per kilo.
That makes the price of fresh mackerel in Chow Kit about RM3 cheaper than those sold in Pasar Datuk Keramat, for example, where the fish retails for between RM12 and RM20 per kilo, depending on size.
The price of the fish in Pasar Sri Gombak and Pasar Ampang ranges from RM15 to RM20 per kilo.
The price of chicken also varies between RM7.50 to RM8 per kilo at the Chow Kit, Datuk Keramat and Ampang wet markets. Chicken prices in Pasar Sri Gombak start at RM7.80 per kilo.
The Chow Kit market also boasts cheaper red chillies which sell for RM10 per kilo, tomatoes (RM5 per kilo), and red onions (RM3 per kilo), compared to other markets that are selling the same items at between RM1 to RM5 higher.
The price of fresh coconut whole or shredded (kelapa parut) is about the same at all the markets surveyed. Whole coconuts are selling at RM1.90 per piece while shredded coconut is sold at RM2 a piece or RM6 per kilo.
Prices for chicken eggs are almost the same at all the markets with differences of between 10 sen and 20 sen per egg.
Buyers can get hold of 10 eggs from RM3.70 for Grade C, RM3.80 (Grade B), RM3.90 (Grade A) and RM4 (Grade AA).
– Bernama
