Fuziah to lodge police report over 'concerted attack'

Deputy Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Fuziah Salleh said her team will lodge a police report over what she called a “concerted attack” after a video of her shopping for household groceries went viral, drawing criticism from netizens.

In the video, she was seen buying items such as biscuits, instant noodles, sardines, flour and cooking oil within a RM200 budget.

The video was actually shot in July when the Community Communications Department (J-Kom) had to modify a controversial infographic regarding the cost of living, following online backlash.

Fuziah believes there is a deliberate attempt to spread misinformation on this issue.

"I am of the opinion that it is politically motivated. The way the attack is organised, I can see that it is very concerted.

"My team is working on the police report and they are identifying the origin of the attack," Fuziah, who is in India, told Malaysiakini via WhatsApp.

Malaysiakini has learnt that the police report will be lodged at the Kuantan police headquarters at 4pm today.

Sharp increase

In July, the J-Kom infographic maintained that a family of four can survive on less than RM400 worth of groceries per month, and a single person would spend just over RM200 per month.

In response to that round of criticism, Fuziah shot a video during that month, saying: "I bought two packs of biscuits, 850g Milo pack, two packs of instant noodles, two cans of sardines, two packs of flour, a bottle of cooking oil, a bag of rice, chicken, condensed milk and several vegetables.

"All of these items cost me RM136.30; who said that RM200 is not enough?"

Today, she said that developments since July have included a sharp increase in the cost of rice.

"In terms of food items, if we look at the graph, there are the usual ups and downs.

"But no real ‘spike’ except for rice.

"In fact, for the cost of items like chicken there is a downward trend," she added.

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