PETALING JAYA: The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) has urged the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry to strictly enforce Section 8(1) of the Price Control Act 1946 (Amendment 1973), which mandates that traders display price tags on their goods.
Its president Mohideen Abdul Kader said a recent survey across the state revealed the widespread non-compliance of traders in displaying price tags.
“They included food stalls, wet markets, night markets, restaurants and retail shops. The primary violation was the absence of visible price tags at food and beverage stalls.
“This was followed by restaurants either not updating prices or providing customers with misleading information. This lack of transparency often led to them being overcharged.”
Mohideen said the absence of documented price lists to refer to caused disputes when bills were handed to customers.
He said the impact of the recent diesel price hike had also raised food costs and underscored the need for consumers to be well-informed about prices before purchasing food items.
While the Price Control Act stipulates that it is the seller’s responsibility to ensure transparency in pricing, he said the inconsistent enforcement has compromised its effectiveness.
“We made a similar call last August, but it did not receive an adequate response. CAP wishes to reiterate the importance of addressing this issue and is seeking an update on what action the authorities are taking regarding the matter.”
Mohideen stressed that there is a need for stricter enforcement and prosecution of offenders to protect consumer rights and maintain fair trading practices.
The ministry’s head of corporate communications Jaafar Jantan confirmed with theSun that it has not issued any official statement regarding CAP’s repeated calls for enforcement of the Price Control Act 1946.
However, he said Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali has constantly reminded retailers and business owners about the importance of price tagging, especially during festive seasons when price controls are announced.
“The ministry is committed to ensuring that retailers and business owners adhere to the price tagging law and not charge unreasonably high prices.”
The ministry said price tag enforcement regulations have been in place since 1977 and initially covered 111 selected items under the Price Control Order (Indication of Price by Retailer) 1977 (Revised 1993), to encompass all retail goods.
Retailers at sundry shops, markets, hypermarkets, kiosks, sports shops, goldsmith stores and boutiques are required to display price tags on each item or provide a clear price list if tagging individual items is impractical.
Price tags must be in Bahasa Malaysia, with translations if necessary, and prices should be visible and stated in ringgit.
Consumers can access price information at all times and report instances of non-compliance, which can lead to significant fines and penalties.
Individuals may face fines of up to RM50,000 or two years jail, while corporations could be fined up to RM100,000. The ministry also assured the public of prompt investigation on all consumer complaints.
Those who wish to lodge complaints to the ministry can do so through the following channels: WhatsApp at 019-848 8000 or 019-279 4317, the call centre at 1-800-886-800 or the ministry’s enforcement command center at 03-8882 6245/6088.
They can also log on to the Ez ADU KPDN smartphone app or visit the e-Aduan KPDN portal at eaduan.kpdn.gov.my
The ministry said complainants should include specific details such as the location or address of the retail outlet, date of transaction, nature of the offence and any other relevant information.
“Such details are important as they will assist the ministry’s enforcement officers to take prompt action and bring the errant retailers to book,” said Jaafar.
