Public weighing scales at Stutong, Medan Niaga Satok

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KUCHING: The Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism has installed a public digital weighing scale each at Stutong Community Market and Medan Niaga Satok for customers to double check the weight of purchased goods.

According to its director Wan Ahmad Uzir Wan Sulaiman, the move was meant to protect customers from unscrupulous traders.

“We often receive reports from customers alleging that traders are tampering with their scales.

“The tricky part to this issue is when the allegation is based on the customer’s own weighing scale at home,” Wan Ahmad said during the presentation ownership of the public weighing scales to representatives of Kuching South City Council (MBKS) and Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama) here yesterday.

He also said that in most cases, weighing scales at home were not of the proper standard.

With the setting up of the public weighing scales, Wan Ahmad said that customers could now take the weight of their purchased goods themselves.

“If they find that the weight does not tally, they can immediately lodge a complaint to the ministry or the respective markets administration office.”

Traders found tampering with their weighing scales could be slapped with a RM4,000 fine or jail of up to three years under the Weight and Measures Act
1972.

Last year, a total of 117 (cheating) cases involving weighing scales were recorded in Sarawak which resulted in RM232,065 worth of weighing scales seized.