Onions, coconuts, chillies and tomatoes among those on price control list
PETALING JAYA: Eight food items have been declared as controlled items from Nov 9 to 15 under the festive season maximum price control scheme for Deepavali.
The products are big onions, shallots (from India), red chillies, imported lamb with bones, Australian dhal, coconut (wholesale control price) and grated coconut (retail control price), and tomatoes, the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry announced yesterday.
“The price control is in addition to products which are already on the list of controlled items,” acting minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said in a statement.
He said the implementation of Deepavali price control is meant to ensure price stability for both consumers and traders.
“The price list, maximum price, and period of implementation are determined by several factors such as demand, supply, present cost, weather, foreign exchange rate, wages and other external factors such as the global economy,” he said.
Armizan added that the price limit was determined through consultation with the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry, government agencies and industry players. The measure will be enforced through the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011, he noted.
“The maximum prices determined at wholesale and retail levels can be checked through the ministry’s webpage at www.kpdn.gov.my.
“Enforcement officers nationwide will conduct checks at strategic locations such as public markets, agricultural markets and essential product stores to ensure consumers are protected from unscrupulous traders,” he said.
The ministry will ensure a sufficient supply of all controlled products during the festive season.
“We hope everyone will adhere to the prices and use red labels for the controlled items. Serious action will be taken against those who fail to comply,” he said.
Complaints may be directed to the ministry via WhatsApp to 019-279 4317/019-848 8000; its portal at http://eaduan.kpdn.gov.my; the call centre at 1-800-866-800; by email to [email protected]; its mobile app; and the enforcement operations room at 03-8882 6088/6245.
Meanwhile, in Kajang, there has been no official report on chicken price increases after the implementation of price floating since last Wednesday, said Armizan.
The results of monitoring carried out by the ministry’s enforcement team until Sunday also found that the price of standard chicken in the peninsula could be as low as RM5.79 per kg, he said.
“However, there are also some that are sold a little higher up to RM10.50/kg, such as in Mentakab and Temerloh (Pahang) and Pasar Awam Matang (Perak), and the enforcement team is monitoring the matter because we are taking the approach of dealing with traders instead of taking legal action.
“As for Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan, I received direct instructions from the Prime Minister to go down and monitor prices there because he received information that their chicken prices were more expensive than in the peninsula,” he told reporters in a press conference on the Festive Seasons Maximum Price Control Scheme for Deepavali 2023, Bernama reported.
Armizan said further investigation found that the situation in Sabah is a little unique, as the more popular choice there is not standard chicken but super clean chicken.
“So it’s true that the price (super chicken) is a little expensive compared to regular chicken, with the cheapest being sold at RM10 and can reach RM13.90/kg, but the fact is that the price is lower than the control price in Sabah in the past, which was RM11.30/kg.”
He added that the price of clean chicken in Sarawak is as low as RM9.90 but reaches RM18.90/kg in some areas, such as Lawas and Limbang, due to logistics costs.
At the same time, he said, in areas that are facing problems with chicken supply and prices, the ministry also intervenes through the organisation of Rahmah and Agro Madani Sales in the localities involved.
