{
  "id": 18076563,
  "title": "Deepavali traders keep prices steady despite rising costs",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/deepavali-traders-keep-prices-steady-despite-rising-costs",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-04T06:06:53.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/news/regional/2026/11/1570553/deepavali-traders-keep-prices-steady-despite-rising-costs"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "JOHOR BARU - In the face of a 25% rise in raw material costs, certain Deepavali traders in Johor Baru have opted to maintain the prices of traditional Indian delicacies to ensure affordability. For 50-year-old R. Mages, keeping prices unchanged is crucial in preserving the flavours, traditions, and accessibility of Deepavali. She has been selling 27 varieties of traditional Indian snacks and biscuits priced between RM25 and RM35 per container at her shop in Jalan Panti 3, Taman Bukit Tiram for 19 years. Although ingredient costs, including sugar, flour, margarine, ghee, butter, and cooking oil, have surged, along with gas and electricity expenses, Mages decided to keep prices the same to make the treats more affordable for more people. Orders from customers in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore have helped cover part of her production costs, including wages. Among her popular offerings are traditional sweets and savouries like ladu, which she makes hundreds of pieces fresh in-house each day to meet demand. Indra, a 60-year-old trader and member of the Johor Indian Business Association (JIBA), also stated that business at the Deepavali bazaar in Johor Baru has been promising, with most of his traditional delicacies nearly sold out. He keeps prices reasonable to attract customers and offers three to four containers of assorted delicacies for RM100, providing better value for money. Deepavali, the festival of lights, is celebrated by Hindus to symbolize the victory of light over darkness and good over evil, falling on the 20th day of the Hindu lunar month of Kartika, usually in October or November. This year, the celebration falls on November 8.",
  "summary": "JOHOR BARU: Despite a nearly 25 per cent increase in raw material costs, some Deepavali traders have chosen to keep the prices of traditional Indian delicacies unchanged this year to ensure the festive treats remain affordable.",
  "key_points": [
    "Deepavali traders maintain prices despite 25% raw material cost rise",
    "50-year-old R. Mages keeps prices unchanged to preserve affordability",
    "Orders from Kuala Lumpur and Singapore help cover production costs"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Yuneswaran: Deepavali expo boosts small traders while promoting racial unity through cultural celebrations",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/yuneswaran-deepavali-expo-boosts-small-traders-while-promoting-racial",
        "published": "2026-11-04T01:43:49.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}