Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today chaired the first meeting of the high-level committee to address the cost of living here.

The three-hour meeting was to ensure ongoing efforts to address issues on rising cost of living jointly with NGOs.

The committee which also comprised six ministers and secretaries-general of the ministries involved is a continuation of the Cost of Living Special Cabinet Committee that is also chaired by Ahmad Zahid.

The ministers involved and present at the meeting were Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh and Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid.

Two other ministers were International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed and Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah.

Meanwhile, Hamzah told a media conference later that, among others, the meeting discussed issues on educating consumers such as the importance of using the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and how economic factors and oil prices influenced the increase in prices of goods.

"As such there is a need to have a holistic communication method to avoid misunderstanding or distortion on the hike of prices and we discussed on the need of whether consumerism should be taught at schools, among others," he said.

Hamzah said improvement of the student cards was also discussed at the meeting so that it could be adopted in all parts of the country.

"We also discussed in general the measures to be taken and detailed information will be presented and decided in the forthcoming Special Cabinet Committee meeting on cost of living," he said.

He said the high level meeting would be held at least once a month.