PETALING JAYA: It is not fair to say that 30 per cent of Indian Muslim or mamak restaurants have not reduced their prices despite the implementation of the zero-rated Goods and Services Tax (GST) on June 1.
Malaysian Indian Muslim Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Mimcoin) president Datuk Syed Jamarulkhan S. Kadir said Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail’s statement was not true.
He said Mimcoin’s membership were supportive of the government’s efforts to bring down food prices, post-GST.
“He needs to meet Mimcoin members and get the overall perspective before making such a statement,” he said.
“Indian Muslim restaurants charge the lowest prices, compared with other restaurants.
“We are not happy with his statement as it has tarnished the image of our members,” he said, adding that Mimcoin’s 2,000 members ran 62 different types of businesses, including restaurants.
He said the statement was racist because it singled out Indian Muslim restaurant operators.
Syed Jamarulkhan said he hoped that the minister would be more cautious when making statements that targeted certain communities.
He added that food prices could be reduced if the government brought back the raw materials subsidy.
“We have to bear the cost of raw materials such as flour and sugar, and now Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) is going to increase its electricity tariffs,” he added.
“How can people expect us to cut prices at our restaurants?” he lamented.