Be cautious with offer of cheap price for Aidiladha sacrifice

Federation of Malaysian Consumer Associations (FOMCA) deputy secretary-general Nur Asyikin Aminuddin said consumers should check whether the organisers, particularly companies, offering the package are registered with the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM).

She said they should also check the bank information or telephone number of the organisers concerned on the website semakmule.rmp.gov.my before making online payment.

"If a warning sign comes out, then the public should report to the authorities such as the police and the Malaysian Multimedia Communications Commission (MCMC) so that the advertisement can be blocked to prevent others from being deceived by the advertisement," she told Bernama.

Similarly, IKRAM Health Malaysia president Dr Mohd Afiq Mohd Nor said the public needed to ensure the existence of institutions that provide or organise the Aidiladha Sacrifice programme is valid and free of fraud and misappropriation of funds.

Consumers should do a survey of the online market price, he said, adding that too cheap a price is a normal feature of a fraudulent scheme.

Meanwhile, Yayasan Maghfirah ambassador Mohammad Hafiz Hamidun, who is also a singer, said the public needed to ensure that the name of the non-governmental organisation (NGO) or company that conducted the sacrificial ritual could be trusted.

He also said the public should be wary of advertisements on social media that offered Aidiladha sacrifice services in and outside the country.

"To avoid falling prey, it is best to opt for a package by a reputable NGO which provides complete information on its programme, such as package price, NGO name, correct account (bank) number and phone number," he said.

He also expressed the need for Islamic religious authorities, such as the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (JAKIM), to monitor and take appropriate action against those who offer fake sacrifice packages.

"Among the actions (that can be taken) is to make it mandatory for those who want to offer Aidiladha Sacrifice packages to register with the religious authorities in their respective state," he added.

Chief Activist of the Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association (PPIM) Datuk Nadzim Johan said those who wanted to book for the Aidiladha Sacrificial package should check the background of the organisers and the price offered to avoid being cheated.

"We have to be smarter, otherwise, we will be victims of our own ignorance," he added.