The Malaysia Indian Muslim Restaurant Operators Association (Presma) has agreed to defer the proposed increase of food and beverages sold at any of its members' outlets.     

The Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry in a statement today said the agreement was reached at a discussion yesterday between its minister Hasan Malek with Presma, which was represented by its president Noorul Hassan Saul Hameed and other top committee members.     

According to the statement, Presma would study from time to time the situation and get feedback from its members on the rising costs of goods and services.     

Hasan had also urged Presma and other associations, restaurant operators or owners, and those in the food catering business to have engagements with all concerned parties.     

"This is to ensure that the government, consumers and food industry benefit from reasonable prices of food and beverages," he said in the statement.     

Nooral Hassan had recently said that Presma would be going round the country to brief its 6,000-odd members on the proposed food and beverage price increase of five to 15 percent.

- Bernama