Ayer Hitam MP Wee yesterday said Malaysian egg producers should be paid 50 sen an egg, instead of allowing imports from India at the same price, as it would incentivise them to produce more eggs.

The current ceiling price for Grade A eggs is 45 sen per egg, with the Grade B ceiling price set at 43 sen per egg and Grade C at 41 sen per egg.

In a Facebook post, Sheikh Omar said the shortage in the supply of eggs in the country goes beyond setting a higher ceiling price.

“If Wee is convinced that the shortage in egg supply is caused by the ceiling price, why didn’t he suggest this when he was in the Cabinet?” he asked.

“I don’t see this issue being solved simply by raising the price of eggs.”

He said that since eggs were the cheapest source of protein for Malaysians, any cost increase would affect the B40 and M40 families.

Sheikh Omar said that many egg producers had highlighted the rising cost of production, such as the price of chicken feed.

He said it was also important to identify other issues that needed to be overcome to address the egg shortage problem.