Naroden (left) and Hamzah hold pink price tags for controlled price items at the press conference. — Photo by Jeffery Mostapa.
KUCHING: The Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism has announced 13 items under the Festive Season Price Control Scheme for the upcoming Gawai and Keamatan celebrations.
Its minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin said the scheme would be enforced from May 27 to June 2 for Gawai in Sarawak and from May 25-31 for Keamatan in Sabah.
“This scheme is implemented under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 and is enforced for seven days, five days before the celebration, on the celebration, and a day after the celebration.
“This is to reduce the cost of living especially those celebrating Gawai on June 1-2 and Keamatan on May 30-31,” he said at the announcement of the Festive Season Price Control Scheme items here yesterday.
The 13 items for Gawai are live chicken, standard chicken, super chicken, live old chicken, chicken wings, grade A chicken eggs, grade B chicken eggs, grade C chicken eggs, imported round cabbage (Indonesia and China, not including Beijing cabbage), white garlic (China), live pig (maximum price at the pig farm only), pork (belly) and pork (meat and fat).
“Though the ministry has set the maximum prices for all 13 items, we encourage retailers to sell below the maximum price. All retailers must put a special pink price tag on the controlled price items to differentiate them from other items.”
Stern action will be taken against those who fail to comply.
Under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011, the maximum fine for a corporate organisation is RM500,000 or a compound up to RM250,000 while the maximum fine for an individual is RM100,000 or jail term not more than three years or both, or a compound up to RM50,000.
Individuals who fail to use pink price tag for control price items can be fined up to RM10,000 or compounded up to RM5,000 while for corporate organisations, they could be fined up to RM20,000 or compounded up to RM10,000 under the same Act.
He added that enforcement officers and price monitoring agents would be going around supermarkets, wet markets, pasar tani and fresh markets to check on prices of goods.
Consumers can channel their complaints to the ministry via the 1Malaysia One Call Centre (1MOCC) at 03-8000 8000, toll free number 1-800-886-800, email to [email protected], any of the ministry’s office throughout Sarawak, Sabah and Labuan, or SMS to 15888 by typing KPDNKK ADUAN <complaint details>.
Assistant Minister of Entrepreneur and Small, Medium Enterprise Development Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais was present at the press conference.