GEORGE TOWN, June 19 — The 3-sen reduction in egg prices has been well-received by consumers, who now hope this positive change will pave the way for further price cuts on other essential food items.

Several consumers and food and beverage industry representatives told Malay Mail that while the 3-sen reduction may not have a significant impact, it is a welcomed step in the right direction.

Banana leaf rice seller B. Menaachi, 45, said the 3 sen reduction for eggs will not reduce the costs for her business.

"It won’t make much of a difference, there are costs of other things like rice, chicken and vegetables,” she said.

Therefore, she wants the government to consider reducing the prices of other essential food items too.

"There would be a bigger impact if prices of other food items are also reduced,” she said.

Meanwhile, sign language interpreter Siti Zubaidah Mohd Lani said the reduction in egg prices is a good thing.

"I usually buy 30 eggs that can last up to a month so with the price reduction, we save about 90 sen a month,” she said.

She said it may not have much impact on normal consumers and households that don’t consume a lot of eggs.

"Maybe it might have an impact on traders and wholesalers,” she said.

Rainforest Bakery founder, Jesse Tan, said the 3 sen reduction is too little to make any difference in the cost of ingredients.

"Even if we use 10 eggs per cake, the cost only drops by 30 sen per whole cake,” he said.

He said this would not lower their costs by much.

Housewife, KY Lee, 35, also said the 3 sen reduction will not make much difference since her family of four doesn’t consume a lot of eggs each day.

She said they eat between 10 and 20 eggs each month so the savings from the price reduction is only between 30 and 60 sen a month.

"I hope this means that the government will cut prices for other food items too,” she said.

When contacted, the Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) welcomed the announcement.

"We welcome price reduction on egg prices as well as other essential food items,” a CAP officer said.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced the price reduction of eggs by 3 sen effective immediately.

He said that based on research, eggs were a staple for B40 families and this price reduction of eggs will benefit them.