The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) today called on 1.3 million civil servants in the country to make a silent protest on the hike in the price of consumer products, especially chicken, starting next month.

Its president Omar Osman said this could be done by reducing grocery shopping frequencies, besides finding cheaper alternatives for the products in protest against the irresponsible traders who were selling the products at unreasonable prices.

"The civil servants have yet to enjoy the newly announced salary increase and bonus, but the traders have already started taking advantage," he told Bernama after attending Cuepacs' briefing on current issues for head of departments and civil servants in Kuching.

Omar said it was high time for civil servants to be united and use their rights as consumers wisely.

The hike in the price of consumer products, especially chicken, is now a nationwide phenomenon which affects the consumers, including those in Sarawak.

Prior to this, Sarawak domestic trade, cooperative and consumerism director Wan Ahmad Uzir Wan Sulaiman was reported as saying that the price of chicken in Sarawak had reached between RM9.50 and RM11.50 per kilogramme following the shortage in the supply last month.

Wan Ahmad also anticipated that the price would return to between RM7.50 and RM8 per kilogramme as the supply would return to normal in 45 days.

- Bernama