Sugar price hike

KUALA LUMPUR, September 24: The increase in the price of sugar will lead to rising prices of food and beverages, while the burden on consumers and the poor, said the Director of Group Communications Coalition of Malaysian Consumers Association (Fomca), Mohd Yusof Abdul Rahman.
"When the price of sugar goes up, all food and beverage prices are going up, this will burden the people," he said when contacted.
According to him, the government used the excuse to raise the price of sugar health, but not at the same time working to improve people's understanding about the prevention of diseases such as diabetes.



"It is common ground by the government, ostensibly to prevent diebetes. To prevent diebetes government is going to be responsible to create awareness about the disease.
"Raising the price of sugar does not give any effect if people are not given understanding about the disease," he explained.
Last week, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam calls on the government to reduce the price of subsidized sugar gradually, ostensibly as a measure to encourage people to reduce sugar in foods and beverages.
Subramaniam claimed, the number of diabetics in the country rose to 2.6 million people, or 15 per cent of the Malaysian population.
Minister of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Hasan Malek said sugar producers and manufacturers guarantee will not raise the price of gasoline is due to the reduction of subsidies recently.