As delicious as nasi kandaq is, the prices of meals at mamak restaurants are on the rise despite some quarters claiming otherwise.
I go to the morning wet market, pasar tani and pasar malam a few times a week for meat, poultry, seafood and vegetables. However lately, I’ve taken to eating out rather than cooking at home as I’ve found its much cheaper that way.
Like Sunday, I had lunch at a mamak restaurant – I ate a plate of white rice, a big piece of fried chicken and a hearty scoop of sayur kobis goreng. It cost me RM7.50.
And yesterday I paid RM8 for a plate of white rice, one medium-sized piece of fried fish, a scoop of fried sambal tauhu, two servings of vegetables and a small plate of papadoms at another restaurant.
If you think paying RM7.50 or RM8 for a meal is quite pricey, you should try cooking those dishes yourself – sure koyak I tell you!
Today, a kilo of fresh ikan bawal was nothing less than RM35 (each piece comes to about RM4+). The price of a whole chicken is approximately RM16 (when cut into eight small portions, each costs RM2+). Let us not even talk about beef (approx. RM26 per kilo) and mutton (approx. RM38 per kilo).
Mind you, these are merely the cost of the meat. Imagine adding the cost of cooking oil, spices, seasonings, coconut milk, vegetables, gas and electricity. Let us not forget the dishwashing liquid and water used to wash all the pots and pans used to cook the dishes. And also your time as well as energy spent in getting those items (oh petrol too), preparing the ingredients and finally cooking the dishes.
Still, after all that effort, there is a high chance your home cooked meal may turn out less tasty than what the restaurants serve.
Yesterday, FMT published a report where the president of Presma (Persatuan Pengusaha Restoran Muslim Malaysia) lashed out at the president of Kimma (Kongres India Muslim Malaysia), who claimed the rise in the cost of food and drinks served at mamak restaurants was inevitable. According to Presma, there should be no increment in food prices sold at mamak restaurants.
I honestly feel both presidents should get off their high horses and do their homework. Why not go to the many restaurants in the country and talk to the customers instead?
Frankly, to say there is no increment in food prices is a blatant lie. The prices definitely have been increasing over the years despite KPDNKK (Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism) watching out for controlled items in the market.
At the same time, to blame the rise of prices on the foreign worker levy makes no sense either. Just look at the prices of canned drinks sold at mamak restaurants. Despite having nothing to do with the levy, the prices have been tremendously hiked up – it used to be RM1.50 a can, now it’s almost RM2.50. The funny thing is, if hypermarkets can sell the same brand of canned drinks for RM1.30 per can, how do we explain the extra cost?
Clearly both Kimma and Presma are playing hide and seek at the expense of the same people they claim to be representing. Pothum. Enough with the blame game, Kimma and Presma. All talk and no initiative is not helping anybody. Instead of wasting news space, go do your work, lah!
That’s all I’ve got to say on the matter. Time for some nasi kandaq now.
-FMT NEWS-
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