PUTRAJAYA, April 5 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) will not hesitate to investigate and review prices if many complaints rail against a premises or stall, said its minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi.

He said the investigation would involve a review in prices of raw materials purchased from suppliers, apart from manufacturing and operating costs and prices at the producer and wholesaler levels.

"The KPDNHEP will not hesitate to take action if traders are found guilty of profiteering as provided for under the Supply Act 1966 and the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011.

"The KPDNHEP would like to remind all traders to continue to comply with all laws set by the government, especially during Ramadan and Hari Raya Aidilfitri this year to avoid stern action taken," he told reporters before a walkabout at the Putrajaya Ramadan Bazaar in conjunction with Ops Pantau 2022 here today.

Nanta said more than 2,000 KPDNHEP enforcement personnel and over 1,000 officers would go down to the field to monitor prices nationwide through Ops Pantau 2022 to ensure consumers can buy food supplies and daily necessities at reasonable prices.

"Inspections under Ops Pantau 2022, among others, focus on monitoring several matters such as supply and price of goods, cheap sale, weighing instruments, sale of counterfeit or pirated goods, implementation of the Festive Season Maximum Price Scheme, halal and compliance with standard operating procedures (SOP) under Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342).

"Based on the statistics of Ops Pantau 2022 implemented for two days starting last Sunday, 7,106 premises were inspected nationwide and 17 cases out of the total were guilty of various offences with a compound value of RM4,200. Among the offences were associated with price tags," he said.

Nanta, meanwhile, said most of the prices of raw materials were controlled by the government through the Keluarga Malaysia Maximum Price Scheme and there was no compelling reason for traders, including at Ramadan bazaars, to increase the price of food they sold.

He said the prices of the raw materials included chicken, eggs, pure palm cooking oil, general purpose wheat flour, sugar, liquefied petroleum gas for cooking, RON95 petrol and diesel for transportation.

When asked about the action of traders in Johor and Perlis who sold chicken above the ceiling price, Nanta said the action was clearly an offence.

"Putting the price above the ceiling price of even one sen is still an offence and selling more than RM10 per kg is a big offence. We have set maximum price restrictions at various levels such as farms, wholesale and retail. Each level has a margin (set)," he said.

Earlier, media reported that there were traders in Johor who sold chicken at RM9.50 to RM10 per kg, exceeding the ceiling price of RM8.90 per kg set by the government.

-- BERNAMA