IN conjunction with the Chinese New Year celebration, the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) has earlier announced its ‘Festive Season Maximum Price Control Scheme’ (SHMMP) for 16 items effective from Feb 8 till Feb 16.
It was reported that items such as chicken, chicken eggs, pork, large prawns, white pomfret, round cabbage, red chillies, tomatoes, potatoes, and garlic have been listed under the controlled price items.
The scheme (SHMMP) was implemented in accordance to the Control of Supplies Act 1961 to make sure that the supply is adequate for the nine days.
Following this, state Trade and Industry and Entrepreneurial Development Committee chairman Datuk Abdul Halim Hussain said officers from the state KPDNHEP would be monitoring the prices of the listed items at supermarkets, markets and the farmer’s market (pasar tani).
“Relevant authorities will conduct inspections at the concerned outlets to ensure that the consumers are protected from any price hike on essential goods by the traders,’’ said Abdul Halim during his visit to the supermarket at the Queensbay Mall today.
Abdul Halim said errant traders would be slapped with penalties in accordance with the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 using the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering (Mechanism to Determine Unreasonable High Profit for Goods) Regulations 2018.
“For traders who increase the prices, they will face a penalty of up to RM100,000 or jail term for not more than three years or both or can be compounded a maximum of RM50,000. For companies, they can be fined up to RM500,000 or be compounded a maximum of RM250,000.
“Meanwhile, failing to display the pink price tags for the controlled price items, traders will be fined up to RM10,000 or be compounded a maximum of RM5,000. For companies, they will be fined up to RM20,000 or be compounded a maximum of RM10,000,’’ Abdul Halim added.
Apart from that, Abdul Halim said the public could forward their complaints against traders who do not abide by the price control scheme via [email protected] portal , call centre (1800 886 800), email ([email protected] ), Ez ADU app, Enforcement Command Centre (03-88826245/6088), Malaysian Government Call Centre (03-80000 8000) and WhatsApp to 019-279 4317 as well as can lodge a report at the KPDNHEP offices.
Story by Tanushalini Moroter
Pix courtesy of YB Datuk Abdul Halim’s office
