Deputy agriculture and food industries minister Nik Muhammad Zawawi Salleh said industry players had given their assurance that the supply of essential food items for the festive season would be sufficient.

“People do not have to worry about the supply because the government is always monitoring it from time to time,” he told reporters after attending the Malaysian Family Sales Programme for the Pasir Puteh parliamentary constituency here today.

The Pasir Puteh MP said all quarters should cooperate with the government to ensure that essential food items were not hoarded or smuggled out by irresponsible parties.

“We don’t want wholesalers and retailers to hoard essential goods or reduce the sale or smuggle these items to neighbouring countries to gain more profits,” he said, adding that strict action would be taken against those found committing the offence regardless of their status.

It was reported earlier that the domestic trade and consumer affairs ministry would continue to hold engagement sessions with related agencies to control chicken prices.