KUCHING: Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali says Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof will be chairing a special committee to address the high cost of living in Sarawak, Sabah and Labuan.
He added that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is committed to addressing this issue, and implementation efforts will soon commence.
“Yesterday, the Prime Minister revealed the establishment of a dedicated committee led by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, marking the first instance of a committee involving all three regions: Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan,” said Armizan, the federal Minister for Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Functions in the Prime Minister’s Department.
“We must examine emerging issues. For instance, there was recently a matter concerning the chicken price, with the government discontinuing the subsidy implemented for approximately 20 months, amounting to over RM3bil.
“We see that the price and supply have stabilised, but when we look, the prices in these three regions are higher than in West Malaysia.”
Addressing logistics concerns, it was observed that specific regions in Sabah and Sarawak operate their poultry farms, mitigating potential challenges in chicken transportation.
However, challenges related to importing chicken feed from external sources need to be deliberated, emphasising effective strategies for managing these issues, particularly concerning the daily necessities of the local populace.
“Although we cannot solve it entirely, there are certain aspects that we can mitigate to ensure reasonable prices for our people in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan,” he stated during the handover of Sarawak’s Civil Defence Force (APM) vehicles today (Dec 8).
On Thursday, during his visit to Sabah and Labuan, Anwar announced the committee’s formation to explore strategies in collaboration with the federal government, aiming to address the high cost of living and expedite potential solutions.
The decision was prompted by the attention brought to the matter by Sabah Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
