21 consumer items listed under Aidilfitri Price Control Scheme

The Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism (KPDNKK) has listed 21 consumer items under the Festive Season Price Control Scheme in conjunction with Aidilfitri this year.

Its Minister Datuk Seri Hasan Malek said it would be enforced for 17 days from July 7 to 23, which is two days more than last year, to curb unreasonable price increases.

He said the fixed prices were the result of feedback from price monitoring officers in 222 parliamentary constituencies throughout the country as well as discussions with other ministries and government agencies such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry as well as non-governmental organisations.

"The ministry also ensures that there is adequate supply in the market," he told a press conference here today.

Hasan said the ministry through its 2,100 enforcers throughout the country had implemented more aggressive monitoring this time to ensure that the people could celebrate Aidilfitri more comfortably.

He said the scheme was implemented under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 which provides for a maximum sentence of RM100,000 fine and jail for individuals and a fine of RM500,000 or compound up to RM50,000 to companies which fail to abide by the prices set.

Traders who failed to put up special pink price tags would also be slapped with a fine of up to RM10,000 or compound up to RM5,000 for individuals or a maximum fine of RM20,000 or compound of RM10,000 for companies, he said.

He said the list of items differed according to the zones and consumers could refer to the ministry's website www.kpdnkk.gov.my. for more information.

The list of items under the scheme are live chicken; standard chicken (slaughtered and cleaned, with legs, head, liver and gizzard or other parts); super chicken (slaughtered and cleaned, without legs, head, liver and gizzard, chicken eggs (Grade A,B,C); local beef; imported beef (controlled only in Sarawak) and imported buffalo meat (India).

The others are red chillies; tomatoes; imported round cabbage (Indonesia and China, not including Beijing cabbage); whole coconuts (controlled at wholesale stage only); desiccated coconut (controlled at retail stage only); shallots (India); garlic (China); imported onions; imported potatoes (China); mackerel including mabung (seven to 10 pieces per kg); selayang fish (seven to 10 pieces per kg); tuna fish (seven to 10 pieces per kg)(controlled only in Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan).