ALOR STAR: The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry has issued a stern warning against sugar hoarding activity ahead of the Chinese New Year and the school break.
State director Muhammad Nizam Jamaludin urged retailers to comply with the existing ruling as the ministry would be monitoring the situation.
"Don't get involved in any hoarding of controlled items, including sugar, and adhere to the rules set by the ministry.
"We will take stern action against traders caught for committing the offence," he told reporters after launching the state-level 2024 Chinese New Year Festive Season Maximum Price Scheme (SHMMP) at a hypermarket here today.
Nizam added that to date, the ministry had yet to receive any complaint of sugar hoarding activity in the state since early this year.
He warned that any party caught hoarding sugar could be investigated under Section 15 of the Control of Supplies Act 1961, which carries a fine of up to RM1 million or a maximum of three years imprisonment, or both upon conviction.
On the Chinese New Year festive season's essential items, Nizam said the overall supply was sufficient and there was no case of panic buying detected in Kedah.
"However, our 176 enforcement officers all over Kedah will continue monitoring strategic locations such as public markets, agriculture markets and hypermarkets to make sure that the retailers comply with the regulations," he said.
The nine-day SHMMP is being enforced from today to Feb 14, involving 11 controlled items.
It is enforced through the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 and enables price determination on producers, wholesalers and retailers.
Under the scheme, the retail price for white prawns is set at RM39 per kg in Peninsular Malaysia.
The maximum retail prices for other items for Peninsular Malaysia are RM42 for white pomfret (between 200g and 400g), live farm pigs RM17 per kg; while pork belly is set at RM38, pork (meat and fat) RM27; imported round cabbage (Indonesia and China excluding Beijing) at RM3.50 per kg.
Other controlled price items include imported potatoes (China) at RM3.50 in the peninsula, garlic (China) RM11; imported ginger RM11.50; imported white radish in the peninsula RM5 and red radish RM4.50.