Amanah holds flash mobs on soaring prices, call for govt action
Amanah Youth and the Amanah mobilisation bureau have taken to the streets in a nationwide flash mob in 14 selected locations today to protest the soaring prices of basic necessities.
The flash mob was held simultaneously at around 5pm today and included a group of about 20 individuals led by Taman Templer assemblyperson Sany Hamzan, who raised placards near the Sogo Shopping Complex in Kuala Lumpur.
A Facebook live stream by...
Amanah Youth and the Amanah mobilisation bureau have taken to the streets in a nationwide flash mob in 14 selected locations today to protest the soaring prices of basic necessities.
The flash mob was held simultaneously at around 5pm today and included a group of about 20 individuals led by Taman Templer assemblyperson Sany Hamzan, who raised placards near the Sogo Shopping Complex in Kuala Lumpur.
A Facebook live stream by Amanah's party organ Malaysia Dateline showed several police officers on site dispersing the small group after around 20 minutes.
They were later seen to request for the participants MyKad before the individuals were allowed to leave.
When contacted, Sany said their main message was for the government to take urgent action to bring down prices of daily necessities.
"When prices of chicken, vegetables, fish and other ingredients go up, automatically the prices of cooked food will also go up.
"Certainly this has a serious impact on people who are still struggling to recover from the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic," Sany told Malaysiakini.
Aside from the flash mob outside Sogo, Sany said there are gatherings at 13 other locations, one in each state.
Sany added Amanah Youth will also be accompanying a group of individuals to submit a memorandum to Parliament on Nov 30.
Earlier, Amanah Youth deputy chief Nik Abdul Razak Nik Md Ridzuan said dire circumstances had forced them onto the streets.
"We are holding this nationwide flash mob even though we know the number of Covid-19 cases is still high and street protests or a public gathering to protest is something which should be avoided.
"But we are forced to do it and InsyaAllah we will follow all the SOPs. Why? Because the situation now is too dire," Nik Razak told Malaysiakini.
Nik Razak claimed the government appears to be at a loss on ways to bring down prices, despite having power at their disposal.
"So this is something which has seriously impacted the people.
"The government today appears clueless and unable to do anything. When in fact, they actually have the power to intervene and others," he said.
Nik Razak also attributed the current situation to weak government policies - including on reopening businesses after lockdown and the recruitment of migrant workers - both of which could impact prices of goods and services.
"We haven't even taken into account economic factors from the perspective of currency exchange rate between the ringgit and US dollar, all directly related to efficiency and success of government policies," he added.
Earlier today, former finance minister Lim Guan Eng had asked Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi if he was prepared to resign if he failed to bring down soaring prices, including vegetables sold at more than double its usual price.
Recently, the Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) raised concerns after it found that prices of some vegetables had increased by up to 200 percent in the past two weeks.
CAP revealed that prices of sawi pendek (choy sum) have increased from RM3 per kg to RM9 per kg, a hike of 200 percent, broccoli from RM8 per kg to RM20 per kg, an increase of 150 percent and cauliflower from RM7 per kg to RM16 per kg, a hike of 100 percent.
