KOTA KINABALU: Many consumers only focus on affordability, packaging and sales gimmick when shopping while only a minority read labels and symbols printed on the products.
Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Hajah Azizah Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Mohd Dun said consumers do not realize that their purchasing power was diminishing.
Many failed to see that consumers were actually the ones who control the market rather than the industry which set the market price, she said.
“Consumer power is able to influence and determine the price, product and service offerings in this complex market.
“Consumer power can shape the demand towards products and services,” Azizah said in a speech delivered by the permanent secretary to the Minister of Community Development and Consumer Affairs, Datuk Asnimar Haji Sukardi, at a consumer talk held at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) here yesterday.
The talk aimed to create and enhance the cooperation and networking between the ministry, government agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in organizing consumer education and awareness programmes.
Azizah said consumers must read product labels when shopping to determine some basic information such as the content, expiry date and environmental management certification like ISO 14001.
She further said not many consumers contacted SIRIM to ensure whether a product logo was genuine, while also stressing the importance of planning one’s shopping to avoid wastage.
Azizah pointed out that a CIG mechanism is needed, a partnership between Consumer (C), Industry (I) and Government (G). She explained that the government played a role in drafting and implementing legislation as well as continuous education, which in turn create awareness and ethics in the industry and consumers.
On the other hand, industries complement the government’s effort in ensuring the procedures and regulations are followed to ensure the products and services are environmentally friendly to consumers.
In addition, Azizah said her ministry, together with the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Consumerism and Co-operatives, had implemented various awareness programmes among consumers, including setting up of consumer clubs and putting up price lists of controlled items in public places.
Azizah said the government had created Retail Shop Transformation Project (TUKAR), Automotive Workshop Modernisation Project (ATOM), 1Malaysia Unified Sale and 1Malaysia People’s Shop (KR1M) to increase the people’s economic level and to allow them to enjoy shopping for affordable items in a modern environment with good service and sufficient supply.
Also present was seminar organizer Dr Kadir Jaafar.