I REFER to the news report “No longer cheap to drink water” (The Star, Feb 8).
It is shocking to read that as high as RM1.50 is charged for a glass of sky juice when dining out at restaurants.
The commercial water tariff in Selangor is just RM2.07 per cubic metre, which means RM2.07 for 2,000 bottles of 500ml mineral water.
This simple comparison shows that RM1.50 is too exorbitant to be charged to consumers for plain water.
A study done by Forum Air Malaysia last year showed that there is no significant difference between the quality of piped water and bottled drinking water.
While the rental and levy to foreign workers have increased, the restaurateurs should increase their effort in reducing costs by increasing the energy efficiency and holistic management of resources while providing good service and sound quality of food to consumers instead of passing the costs on to them.
As for the consumers, they always have a choice and must take a proactive role instead of being reactive.
Bringing your own bottled water while dining out is a good way to reduce your bill. If not, check the price of sky juice when ordering.
The Government must come up with guidelines or a policy on price regulation in order to safeguard the interests of consumers as they are on the receiving end.
Another problem looming is that extra charges are levied during festive seasons and the regulator seems to be ineffective in tackling this problem.
FOON WENT LIAN,Forum Air Malaysia.
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