Hasan (right) and Severinus inspect the weighing scale at a consumer service counter set up by KPDNKK at the Central Market.
KOTA KINABALU: An arrogant trader who failed to display the pink price tags for controlled goods at the Central Market here was issued with a compound notice by the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism (KPDNKK).
Another sundry shop that sells liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders without any licence and price tag was also given a compound notice during an enforcement exercise led by Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumeris Minister Datuk Seri Hasan Malek here, yesterday.
Hasan, accompanied by KPDNKK Sabah director Severinus Tukah, also led the enforcement team to Asia City to inspect the implementation of the Pesta Kaamatan Price Control Scheme 2015.
Overall, Hasan said he was pleased to see the hawkers at the Central Market displaying the price tags for their products, except for a trader who had used normal price tags for controlled items instead of the required pink price tags.
“I asked the trader to display pink price tags but he was arrogant. So I instructed (KPDNKK) officers to issue a compound of RM200.”
Later, Hasan made a surprise visit to several premises at Asia City where he found a sundry shop selling LPG cylinders without a licence, nor did the shop display the price tags for the product.
“The shop said they had lost the licence.
“The licence must be displayed and we (KPDNKK) have issued a compound of RM 400 to the offender.”
He said some traders had remained stubborn, and citing what the Prime Minister had said, still evil.
“They still do things their own way and refuse to display price tags or fail to apply for licences.
“So we have to take action because we do not want our consumers to be fooled.”
Meanwhile, another shop that is doing promotional sales was instructed to display the approval from KPDNKK to offer sales at an obvious spot.
The inspection yesterday produced four cases, including a case under the Weights and Measures Act 1972 with a RM 200 compound issued, and three cases under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 with a total compound of RM 600 issued.
The Pesta Kaamatan Price Control Scheme in Sabah is enforced from May 22 to 31 and involved 13 items.
Between May 22 to 25, KPDNKK has inspected 164 distributors and 2,129 retailers in Sabah. During the four days, KPDNKK has seized RM 48 worth of goods from a retail operator in Tawau and issued a compound of RM 100 to the retailer for not displaying prices during its enforcement programme in Sabah.
As of yesterday, KPDNKK has inspected 3,600 distributors and retailers in Sabah.