The Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism Ministry will reconvene a meeting of the Chicken Pricing Committee next week following the Poultry Breeders Association's refusal to take part in the previous meeting, reports Bernama.

Its minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, said the meeting would also be attended by representatives of the Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Ministry.

"I have already discussed with the Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister, Datuk Noh Omar, that the committee to be chaired by my ministry's secretary-general, Datuk Mohd Zain Mohd Dom, would include representatives from the Agriculture Ministry, so we can negotiate," he said.

Ismail Sabri was speaking at a news conference on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) at the Companies Commission of Malaysia office in Kuala Lumpur on 17 June.

The Committee on Chicken Pricing was formed a month ago to prevent chicken breeders and traders from indiscriminately hiking prices.

The committee meeting had to be postponed recently due to the association's absence and their unwillingness to cooperate with the ministry.

Ismail Sabri said that hopefully, with the involvement of the Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Ministry which was responsible for farmers, the issue could be resolved.

Earlier, he announced that the consumer price index (CPI) from January to May this year increased by 3.3 per cent to 111.7 compared to 108.1 during the same period last year.

He said the CPI for May recorded a change of 2.4 per cent, to 111.7 from 109.1, and when compared to the previous month, the increase was only 0.2 per cent.

"The increase was too small. Perhaps the price of goods only went up by one sen.

"The price of daily necessities are controlled and stable, so housewives need not be unduly worried as the price increase is between 0.1 per cent and 0.3 per cent," he told Bernama.