Nurul Izzah calls for stringent measures to combat the high price of goods

PETALING JAYA: In conjunction with the commencement of the zero-rated GST yesterday, stringent measures must be explored to combat exorbitant prices of goods and services.
PKR vice-president, Nurul Izzah Anwar, said the main aim of reducing the cost of living among Malaysians should be complemented by a holistic, public-interest approach.
"I implore the Pakatan Harapan government to undertake a consistent and timely approach to prevent unwarranted price fluctuations with immediate effect.
"I urge the ministry in charge to consider making full use of the two-year-old volunteer-based initiative kickstarted by the previous administration, 'Friends of KPDNKK' (FOK) to help monitor price changes," she said in a statement.
Nurul, who is also Permatang Pauh MP, added that the previous government claimed that the implementation of FOK would ensure that prices would be fair and that businesses would not abuse their price-setting ability.
However, with no transparent process, this becomes mere speculation.
"I strongly urge that an audit be made by the Auditor-General to determine the effectiveness of this programme and to highlight any structural weaknesses.
"After a revamp of the programme, taking in over 200,000 current members of FOK and promoting the initiative to a higher level, the Pakatan Harapan government will create a new wave of the people's empowerment.
"Potential manipulation of middlemen and business owners can be eradicated using less resources, given the nation's need to save costs and reduce leakages and wastages at present," she said.
Nurul said the Barisan Nasional's bad practices of letting middlemen rule the market and dictate the prices must be avoided at all costs.
In addition, she said, the Pakatan Harapan government must revamp its efforts to enforce any irregularities towards the people, namely by providing easily accessible hotlines and sufficient counters at nearby KPDNKK offices for complaints to be processed quickly and issues to be addressed efficiently.
"As Malaysians celebrate Eid in the coming weeks, the necessity for effective price-control mechanism is at a pivotal stage.
"As such, the Pakatan Harapan government, being a newly-elected administrators of the country must be proactive and get Malaysians involved through and through, to keep costs of living in check and ensure the people's well-being in the long run," she added.