Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the price range for the state ranged from RM4.90 to RM24 per kg yesterday, according to the National Goods Price Council.
“We have issued notices to shops selling onions at these prices under the price control and profiteering laws.
“This notice demands proof from shops to show how much they originally bought the onions for from importers or suppliers,” he told reporters on the sidelines of an event in Balik Pulau here today.
Saifuddin said while the supply of onions in the country was “more than enough”, Malaysians’ appetite and preference for Indian onions had forced its price to jump.
He said India has “stopped exporting” Indian onions to Malaysia since September, citing local supply reduction.
Saifuddin said there was plenty of supply from the Netherlands, China, Pakistan and Egypt, but Malaysians preferred Indian onions, despite it being expensive.
When asked about claims that suppliers were hoarding cheap Indian onions and selling them at higher prices, he said his ministry had yet to receive such reports.
Saifuddin also said his ministry was discussing ceiling prices for essential items for the upcoming Chinese New Year.
Earlier, Saifuddin opened TF Value-Mart’s new supermarket in Balik Pulau. Checks by FMT showed big onions there being sold at 98 sen per kg, far cheaper than other hypermarkets in Penang which sell them at RM3.28/kg and Indian shallots at RM6/kg.
The supermarket’s CEO Ho Mun Hao said the onions were from Egypt and were pungent, spicy and sharp in taste.
“You look at the colour and you know that the Egyptian onions are close in appearance to the Indian onions. They are very pungent. They are nearly identical to the Indian counterpart.
“The key is to have moisture in the onions. That is what makes Indian onions sought after as they tend to be tastier. Onions from other countries tend to be dry,” he said.
Ho said his supermarket would continue to sell the onions at 98 sen per kg at all of its 33 outlets in the country for about a week and would only raise it by “a ringgit (RM1) plus” later on.
“We will never raise it to double-digit prices. Last time, we sold Indian onions at RM3.89 per kg anyway,” he said.
Ho said the supermarket had procured onion stocks from a good supplier.