Malaysia's inflation cools as veg goes cheap, but eating out still burns the wallet
The price of vegetables saw a steep decline of 7.2 per cent, contributing to the moderation in headline inflation to 1.1 per cent.
Milk and other dairy products fell by 1.8 per cent, while cereals, meat and fish also recorded softer prices.
Food consumed at home fell 0.4 per cent, while commercially prepared meals rose 4.7 per cent, slightly faster than May.
Oils and fats increased by 1.7 per cent, while fruits and nuts dropped by 0.1 per cent year-on-year.
Core inflation was steady at 1.8 per cent while overall inflation excluding fuel slowed to 1.3 per cent, pointing to broader price stability in consumer essentials.
Durable and semi-durable goods experienced more price declines than increases, with only 21 and 41 items, respectively, recording higher costs.
Out of 573 tracked goods and services, more than half of the items showed no price changes.
Restaurant and accommodation services remained the third-fastest rising category, albeit slowing from 3.0 per cent to 2.8 per cent.
Urban and rural inflation remained subdued, suggesting widespread moderation across regions and spending habits.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
3 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
Singapore's SMRT fined RM7.9m for six-day MRT disruption in 2024, down from initial RM9.9m
SINGAPORE, July 26 — Singapore public transport operator SMRT will pay a reduced fine of S$2.4 million (RM7.9 million) over a major six-day MRT disruption on the East-West Line in September 2024, following a review by the Land Transport Authority (LTA). The penalty is S$600,000 less than the initial amount announced in June. According to The Straits Times, the updated fine was revealed in an LTA statement yesterday. The regulator said it had considered SMRT's representations and the challenges the operator faced during the incident, including pandemic-related supply chain disruptions that delayed spare parts for train overhauls. The fine will go into the Public Transport Fund to help lower-income households with commuting costs, said LTA. SMRT has also been directed to invest at least S$600,000 within a year to strengthen its maintenance capabilities and submit documented proof of the improvements. 'In reaching this decision, LTA took into consideration the considerable challenges SMRT had faced in planning and executing their overhaul regime for the Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) trains,' the authority said, citing the global delays triggered by Covid-19. The disruption stemmed from a faulty component on a first-generation KHI train that led to a partial derailment between Jurong East and Buona Vista stations on the morning of September 25, 2024. Services were affected until September 30, disrupting about one in six trips each day. Investigations found that SMRT had extended overhaul intervals without a detailed engineering or risk assessment. The root cause was traced to degraded grease, which led to the detachment of an axle box — a key component connecting the train's wheels — near Dover station. One of the train's bogies derailed as a result, damaging 2.55km of track and trackside infrastructure. SMRT Trains president Lam Sheau Kai responded in a Facebook post, saying the operator will 'strengthen its direct engagement with original equipment manufacturers of trains and systems' and invest in technical expertise through deeper collaboration. Lam added that SMRT has long prioritised workforce development and upskilling, and will continue supporting the secondment of LTA engineers — a practice ongoing since 2018. SMRT is also working with LTA and Alstom to progressively roll out the new R151 trains, with all 106 units expected on the North-South and East-West lines by 2026. As of June 29, 61 R151 trains were in operation. The ageing KHI fleet is set to be retired by September. The Straits Times reported that LTA had earlier described the original S$3 million fine as 'proportionate', but also took into account SMRT's financial outlay for emergency bus bridging and shuttle services during the disruption, as well as repair costs. SMRT had submitted its representations on June 6 after receiving LTA's notice of intention to penalise the operator on May 30. The transport regulator reviewed the submission before confirming the revised fine on July 25. SMRT has 14 days to appeal the penalty to Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow. Asked by The Straits Times whether it would do so, Lam said only that SMRT had 'noted that LTA had considered its representations'. The S$2.4 million penalty is the second-highest imposed on a rail operator in Singapore's history. The record fine remains the S$5.4 million SMRT incurred following a 2015 disruption that shut down the entire North-South and East-West lines during evening rush hour.
Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Malay Mail
Singapore catering couple fined over RM235,000 each after failing to pay staff more than RM1.4m
SINGAPORE, July 26 — A married couple who ran several catering businesses, including Royal Cuisine Group and Tingkat Singapore, have each been fined S$72,000 (RM237,283) for failing to pay salaries to over 100 employees in Singapore, The Straits Times reported. Wu Wenchun, 37, and Sim Ling Zhen, 31, pleaded guilty to 12 charges under the Employment Act. Each faces 66 weeks' jail if the fines are not paid. An additional 13 charges, including failure to report their change of residence, were taken into consideration during sentencing. According to Singapore's Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the couple's companies — Royal Cuisine Group, Yanxi and Healthy Meals Catering — owed 103 employees a total of S$432,870.63 in unpaid salaries. Only S$73,420 has been recovered to date, The Straits Times said. Sim was listed as the director, while Wu was the general manager. They were actively involved in running various food service brands, including Angel Confinement Meals, Happy Mamapapa Catering, Vegetarian Buffet, and the now-defunct Yanxi restaurant in Chin Swee Road. Public complaints about the companies surfaced in 2022, when customers began reporting unfulfilled meal orders. MOM received its first formal complaint on July 20, 2022, from a Royal Cuisine employee about unpaid wages, The Straits Times reported. Investigations revealed that the businesses were initially supported by investor Low Ting Hui, who helped fund operations and payroll. However, Low withdrew financial support in October 2022 following disputes over the companies' direction and use of funds, said MOM senior prosecuting officer Justine Loh. 'Despite meeting cash-flow issues and knowing that there would be difficulty in paying salaries to the employees, Wu and Sim decided to continue operating the companies, continue the employment of the employees, and opening other new businesses,' said Loh in court, as quoted by The Straits Times. By December 2022, landlords had shut down the companies' premises due to unpaid rent. MOM said Wu and Sim failed to properly inform employees about the situation and left them without pay for up to three months. The couple were also uncooperative with authorities, skipping mediation sessions, missing appointments, and failing to provide updated residential addresses during investigations, The Straits Times reported. 'Despite being provided with ample time to make salary restitutions to the affected employees, Sim and Wu did not make appreciable efforts to do so,' MOM said. Most affected workers have since found new employment with assistance from the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) and the NTUC Employment and Employability Institute, according to The Straits Times. Under Singapore's Employment Act, employers who fail to pay salaries may face up to six months in jail, a fine of between S$3,000 and S$15,000, or both. Repeat offenders face stiffer penalties.
Malay Mail
2 hours ago
- Malay Mail
RM1.9t in IPOs: Bursa Malaysia tops SE Asia's capital market surge in H1 2025, says CEO
KAMPAR, July 26 — Bursa Malaysia has maintained its lead position in initial public offering (IPO) activities in South-east Asia, recording a market value exceeding RM1.9 trillion in the first half of 2025. Bursa Malaysia chief executive officer Datuk Fad'l Mohamed said this achievement reflects the strength of the country's capital market and also the business community's confidence in Bursa Malaysia as a partner for long-term growth. 'Retail investors' participation remains strong and continues to be a major contributor to the country's equity market. The average daily trading value (ADV) of retail investors remains stable at about RM450 million, in line with pre-Covid-19 levels, as of the middle of this year,' he said in his speech at the 2025 Perak Stock Carnival at Tunku Abdul Rahman University (UTAR) here today. Fad'l added that there are more than 113,000, or eight per cent of active retail investors in Perak, out of a total of 1.4 million in Malaysia, with nearly 6,000 new Central Depository System (CDS) accounts opened as of the middle of this year. He said Perak's potential for further growth in the capital market is very high with its 2.5 million population. 'However, despite these impressive figures, our priority is to build retail investors who are knowledgeable, responsible and confident about their investments,' he said. Bursa Malaysia also emphasised the need to raise awareness about the growing issue of investment fraud, with the police reporting more than 2,000 cases in the first quarter of this year, he said. The exchange is intensifying financial literacy programmes such as Sens-Ability, and providing various educational materials for new and experienced investors as a preventive measure, he said. 'Bursa Malaysia also introduced investment products like BR Capital, Bursa Gold Dinar, and MyBursa to cater to various investor segments. 'We encourage everyone present to leverage the knowledge-sharing sessions and opportunities provided throughout this carnival to make informed and wise investment decisions,' he added. The carnival, held for the first time in Perak, is part of a series of programmes that started in 2022, after previous events in Pahang, Terengganu and Perlis to strengthen investment literacy among the public. Perak's Tourism, Industry, Investment, and Corridor Development committee chairman Loh Sze Yee and UTAR research and commercialisation division vice-president Prof Dr Zuraidah Abd Manaf were also present at the event. — Bernama
