Mohd Khalis and Ahmad speaking to reporters during their visit to Bario on Saturday.
BARIO: Starting next year, traders in Bario need not travel all the way to Miri to have their weighing scales verified and stamped by Metrology Corporation Malaysia Sdn Bhd (MCM).
According to MCM chief operation officer Ahmad Sholihan, the company will set up a centre in Bario next year.
“Before this, traders here have to travel with their weighing scales to Miri to have them verified and stamped, but this year, we bring the process to them here.
“We make it easier for them so they do not have to travel far, and starting next year, we will have a permanent centre here especially for this purpose,” he said.
He added that the verification and stamping process carried out during their visit here on Saturday was free of charge, as part of the corporation’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts.
Normally, traders will be charged a fee for the process, depending on the scales.
Ahmad told reporters this during a visit to Bario in conjunction with a consumerism dialogue and price standardising programme organised by the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism (KPDNKK) last Saturday.
However, he added, the MCM centre in Bario can only verify and stamp weighing scales that are in order.
“We do not provide repairing services. Therefore, if upon inspection the weighing scale is found to be faulty, the trader will have to bring it to Miri to be repaired by repairers that are approved by KPDNKK,” he disclosed.
Also present at the press conference was MCM adviser Mohd Khalis Kasim.
During the visit, MCM also presented 12 new weighing scales to selected traders there.
“The weighing scales are given free to these selected traders to help them change their old weighing scale to a digital scale. This is part of our corporate social responsibilities to traders here in Bario as well,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ahmad reminded traders to only use two-sided weighing scales or digital scales to conduct their trading.
He said one-sided scales are strictly prohibited to be used for trading purposes.
“Only two-sided and digital weighing scales are allowed. For traders who want to purchase these scales, they must also ensure that the scales are already inspected and verified by MCM before purchasing them.
“These verified weighing scales will have a MCM stamp or sticker on them, showing the expiry date. Once the stamp expires, they will have to bring them to our centre for re-verification and re-stamping,” he explained.
He added that weighing scales which have not been verified and stamped are not allowed to be sold to traders and consumers.
Ahmad emphasised that actions would be taken against traders who fail to follow these guidelines.