PETALING JAYA: The government’s Community Communications Department (J-Kom) is standing by the accuracy of the cost of groceries in a recent infographic that it produced to illustrate the cost of living in the country.Its director-general Datuk Dr Mohammad Agus Yusof said that while the title of the infographics on the monthly grocery bill could have been better phrased and the explanation could have been better, the data contained in the graphic is still correct.

       A chart titled “Is it true the grocery bill has risen from RM200 to RM500 a month?” that was put out by J-Kom on Wednesday was met with widespread online derision.

       Agus said that it was illogical for anyone to think that those items alone would suffice as the whole grocery list of any family of four, but what J-Kom intended to do was to debunk the allegations by certain quarters that grocery bills will rise from RM200 to RM500.

       He said that the items listed in the infographic were only essential grocery items that are either subsidised or in the price control list, and not everything that a whole family would purchase monthly.“As the director-general, I take the blame for our shortcomings of not explaining clearly when putting out the infographic.

       “I admit the title of the infographic could have been better worded and the explanation we put out could have been clearer.

       “But I stand by the data that we have released as my team had cross-checked everything at the retail level and even used the PriceCatcher app of the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry.

       “In a grocery list, there are always the essential items and wish items. Our infographic is only on essential items. I am not saying a family eats only two chickens per month. There would also be the need to buy toothpaste, vegetables, fruits and such,” said Agus.

       He added that the aim of the information was to debunk allegations that the price of “everything” (price-controlled or otherwise) had gone up.

       J-Kom stated that a family of four earning a minimum monthly income of RM1,500 would only spend RM391 monthly for their groceries, which includes two chickens (RM37.60), two sacks of 10kg rice (RM38 each), a bottle of 1kg cooking oil at RM6.90, a tray of 30 eggs at RM14, a loaf of Gardenia bread at RM3 and a 10kg gas cylinder at RM19.

       For a single person earning a minimum pay of RM1,500, the bill would come to RM228 per month – one chicken (RM18.80), a sack of 10kg rice (RM38), two bottles of 1kg cooking oil at RM13.80 each, a tray of 30 eggs at RM14, two loaves of Jumbo Gardenia bread at RM8.60 and a 10kg of cooking gas at RM19.“We know that the issue of cost of living is a very sensitive one for the people, no matter which political party you support. At J-Kom, we do our duty to inform the government that this issue needs to be addressed and this is why we felt the need to come out with the infographic,” said Agus.