PETALING JAYA: New tourist attractions as well as “hipster” and franchise cafes that have popped up in many parts of Pahang over the recent years have driven up food prices, say residents.

The owner of Blue Cabins homestay in Cameron Highlands, Tengku Zulfadzil Tengku Mohamed Ariffin, said many new attractions that have opened up in the area, such as Flower Gardens and Hobbiton village, are attracting more tourists, inevitably increasing food prices.

“Food price increases in the area is affecting most food items, especially those that are viral and hyped on social media.

“The price for nasi lemak with any chicken dish, for instance, can go up to RM18 to RM19 per plate.

“Prices of snacks that are popular in Cameron like scones, cakes and others are also getting more expensive,” said the 50-year-old.

Tengku Zulfadzil said there are sellers who take advantage of raising prices when there are many tourists.

“They inflate prices and give Cameron a bad name.

“Prices for strawberry and corn can go up and down depending on the season – it would be more expensive during holidays or weekend, but cheaper on weekdays,” he added.

Tengku Zulfadzil said not only have food prices increased, but also the cost of other basic necessities, including transportation, electricity tariffs, water, tax, and rent.

He said this is caused by the demand exceeding supply.

“We avoid eating out whenever possible to avoid having to spend a lot on food,” he said.

Others living in surrounding areas are also feeling the heat from rising food prices.

Azatul Afzan Mat Dui, who lives and works in Raub, Pahang, said that it was near impossible to find affordable lunch meals that were below RM10 at restaurants in the area.

"I would usually go to food stalls for lunch, only there can I get meals that cost me less than RM10.

"Even then, I noticed that a lot of the stalls have increased prices.

"At the breakfast stall I usually go to, the price of one pack of nasi lemak has gone up by RM1, from RM1.50 to RM2.50," said the 32-year-old admin assistant.

Azatul Afzan added that a plate of nasi ayam gepuk (fried chicken and rice) would cost her about RM8.

"I think for this meal, the price is similar to stalls in Kuala Lumpur," she said.

Coffee lover Normasaidatul Fasihah Mohd said she noticed coffee prices at cafes in Bentong were also getting more expensive, due to the presence of several new shops. 

"I think prices have generally spiked after Covid-19.

"I could get a cup of iced latte at RM7 back then, but now the cheapest is around RM9," said the 33-year-old document controller.

She added that a lot of franchise cafes had also opened up in the area.

"There are a lot of franchise cafes and convenience stores like Bask Bear, Richiamo Coffee and Family Mart," she said.

She said that for cafes that sell western food, prices would usually range above RM12.

“We could previously get it for about RM10.

"Even a dish like chicken rice ranges between RM7 and RM10," she said.

Normasaidatul Fasihah said the price hikes had affected her daily expenses for food.

"Now I have to choose wisely and allocate a budget of RM10 to RM20 per day for food," she said, adding that she no longer goes to cafes as often as she used to.

Hawker and owner of Layan Koner food court in Raub, Ahmad Sabri, said competition from other food sellers and the high cost of raw ingredients pose a challenge for him to sell food at low prices.

“We have few customers but a lot of food establishments like food courts, fast food cafes and food stalls, so the competition is pretty stiff.

“The prices of raw food in a small town like Raub are also more expensive, compared with bigger cities where these items are more accessible,” he said.

He said the cheapest item at his food stall is nasi lemak for RM3, while the most expensive is “Shellout” (mixed seafood) at RM35.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/07/24/tourist-boom-and-hipster-cafes-fuel-food-price-surge