KUIH lovers, take note—your favorite festive treats might cost more this Raya. Malaysian vendors warn that kuih prices could rise by as much as 25% due to increasing costs.
A survey at Pasar Kubang Pasu, Kedah found that vendors are still selling three to five pieces of kuih for RM2, Harian Metro reported.
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A vendor, Tarmizi Husin, 43, who has been selling kuih for eight years, said that this price has remained unchanged for over four years, but many vendors at the market are considering raising it to RM2.50 after Aidilfitri.
“We have agreed to increase prices by up to 20% because the cost of various ingredients, including coconut milk, has gone up,“ he said.
“The price of coconut milk has increased since December, from RM10 to RM16 per kilogram, yet we have been keeping our kuih prices the same.
“We really don’t want to raise prices, but we have no choice. If we keep the old prices, we won’t make any profit.
“Kuih sales are unpredictable—some days we sell out, and other days we don’t. If we don’t sell out, we’re just left with exhaustion,“ he said.
Meanwhile, coconut milk seller Muhammad Nor Akmal Jaafar, 29, said prices could reach RM20 per kilogram during Ramadan due to the difficulty in sourcing fresh coconuts.
“The coconuts we get are imported from Indonesia, and we buy them for RM3.30 to RM3.40 each.
“Some of these coconuts arrive spoiled, probably because they take a long time to get here, which increases the cost of producing coconut milk.
“For now, I’m selling coconut milk at RM13 per kilogram because I don’t have the heart to charge more. But if coconut prices keep rising, sellers might have to increase the price to RM20 per kilogram during Ramadan,“ he said.
