First kopitiams, now mamak shops are expected to increase the price of food and beverages from Jan 1, 2022.

Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association (Presma) president Jawahar Ali Taib Khan told Malaysiakini that eateries in the Klang Valley are likely to impose a 10 per cent price increase for each item on the menu, to cover the 30 per cent increments in costs for raw materials.

This means that your usual fix of roti canai, mee goreng, teh tarik, or milo panas, could cost at least 20 sen more, each.

"We have been maintaining our prices for three years. Presma could be the only organization that has asked its members not to raise their prices until December 30.

"But what is certain is that we will have to increase prices from next year, at reasonable rates," said Jawahar, adding that the hike is not for the sake of profit, but to support the drastic increase in the price of raw materials.

Jawahar rued that besides costiler good, the 9,000 members registered with Presma, also had to contend with higher wages to hire staff, due to worker shortages.

His remark was echoed by C. Krishnan, the president of the Malaysian Indian Restaurant Owners Association (Primas), who said that some restaurants have increased prices of food and beverages from 10 sen to 30 sen, to cope with the price of raw materials which had increased by 50 to 100 percent.

"A carton of 48 cans of condensed milk used to cost RM107 a year ago but now it’s RM127. Imported dhal increased from RM123 to RM129 in just a week and we can’t do anything about it.

“It is almost impossible for us to sustain our businesses without increasing the prices at our eateries. I think we may need to increase prices by 15 to 20 percent to cover the rising costs," he told Malaysiakini.

Besides food and beverages, the price of traditional Chinese medicine is also set to go up 10 to 30 per cent from next year, reported The Malaysian Insight (TMI).

This is due to the shortage of the imported supplies, said the report.

Earlier this week, it was reported that beverages at traditional coffee shops (kopitiams) will cost 20 to 60 sen more from next year, depending on the location, due to the rise in operating costs.


Source: Malaysiakini, TMI
Photo source: Astro Awani