SIBU: The Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism (MDTCC) will come down hard on traders hoarding dressed chicken and chicken parts.
Its branch chief here Balraj Singh warned that traders hoarding chicken in anticipation of selling them at higher price contravenes the Control of Supplies Act 1961.
“Errant traders can be fined up to RM100,000 or sentenced to three years jail or both upon conviction.
“A company on the other hand, can be fined up to RM250,000. We will not hesitate to mete out stern punishment as such unhealthy business antics can cause hardship to the people,” Balraj told thesundaypost yesterday.
He was asked if hoarding was the reason for the shortage of the chicken in the market here.
The supply of chicken was disrupted in recent days as poultry farms faced production problems leading to a spike in prices.
But the MDTCC had acted promptly to put a lid on the pricing to safeguard the interest of consumers.
Meanwhile, thesundaypost accompanying the eight enforcement officers on a surprise check here, noted some traders had resorted to buying from supermarkets and hypermarkets to maintain their supply.
A supervisor with a fresh market, who asked not to be identified, said: “I believe some are buying in bulk to sell them elsewhere or in the outskirts.”
He said they do not limit the quantity each person can buy to avoid causing inconvenience.
Conversely, a division manager Rarah Ngelambai had limited the sale of chicken to three birds per customer.
To this, Balraj added: “We have no problems on such measure as it is a form of control mechanism to ensure that consumers will be able to obtain their supply of chicken.”
The local chief assured that their enforcement officers were constantly on the ground to keep tabs on the situation.
Meanwhile, he advised consumers to call them at: 084-335622/329202 if they noted any price hike.