SANDAKAN: The supply of sugar, subsidised packet cooking oil, and flour in the district is sufficient and there is no shortages or cut-off.
Chief Enforcement Officer of the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) Sandakan, Azdy Zukkry John @ Azdy Zukkry Abdullah, said that as a result of monitoring at the wholesaler’s warehouse, Sandakan currently still had 132.4 metric tons of sugar supply.
“While another 237 metric tons are expected to arrive this week, bringing the total to 369.4 metric tons,” he said.
Sandakan has five main wholesalers of sugar.
The district has 22 subsidised packet cooking oil re-packers that were able to provide around four million kg per month for Sandakan’s needs.
Thus, Azdy hoped that the public or consumers will not make panic purchases because the supply is sufficient, including during the month of Ramadan and Hari Raya.
He said this to the media immediately after monitoring a subsidised packet cooking oil packaging factory and two wholesale sugar and other warehouses, Thursday.
Azdy added that his party closely monitors the availability of essential items throughout the festive season by looking and focusing on essential items, especially sugar and packet cooking oil, among others.
He was addressing the claims on the absence of sugar as the supply was cut off in Sandakan.
“It was not true,” he said, reminding consumers not to make panic purchases because the supply of sugar is sufficient.
In the same development, regarding the needs of rural consumers, KPDN Sandakan also suggested that wholesalers could keep 10 per cent of their stock as mini stock.
This mini stock would be supplied to users in the nearest rural areas such as Kinabatangan, Telupid, Tongod, Beluran and Paitan.
He said it was also implemented under the Sandakan Family Care Programme by the Sandakan KPDN where appointed wholesalers would bring sugar and other essentials in addition to subsidised cooking oil packets.
“While wholesalers have also taken the initiative to send rice supplies in conjunction with this festive season.”
According to Azdy, this could also help ease the travel costs of small traders from outside the district, including those from Pinangah and Tongod who need to go to the nearest town in Telupid to find the supplies.
“The delivery is still going on until now to ensure that there are no consumers who do not receive the benefits of these subsidised goods,” he said.
“We have also not received any complaints about the lack of cooking oil since September last year,” he added.
The assistance and a few complaints about cooking oil packets being sold at high prices had also been solved, said Azdy.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director of Chung Kwong Sandakan Sdn Bhd, Wong Chik Kiong, said the supply of sugar was sufficient.
“We supply sugar to large and small supermarkets around Sandakan and in the run-up to Hari Raya Aidil Fitri, there is enough sugar and next month, new supplies will also reach Sandakan,” he said.
