JOHOR BARU, Dec 3 – The Ministry of Internal Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) has issued 83 notices to vegetable vendors in the state from the beginning of this year until Dec 1, following the increase in vegetable prices .
Johor KPDNHEP Director Mohd Hairul Anuar Bohro said in a statement today that the notices were issued to investigate the price hike and check if there was an element of profit.
He said the KPDNHEP had also issued notices to 21 retailers, 11 wholesalers and three producers under Section 21 of the Price Control and Anti-Profit Act 2011 (AKHAP), who were selling vegetables at higher prices thanks to checks issued from November 20 to yesterday.
He said a total of 200 law enforcement officers have been tasked with carrying out checks and surveillance at all levels of the supply chain to respond to complaints from the public about price hikes. goods.
He added that 10 law enforcement officers today conducted Ops Pasar on vegetable wholesalers and growers around Taman Ungku Tun Aminah and Ulu Tiram following reports of price spikes including between 50 and 100%.
He said Ops Pasar was aimed at controlling rising prices of essentials such as vegetables, fish, meat and chickens, adding that KPDNHEP inspected a total of 7,603 premises comprising 5,954 retailers, 1 198 wholesalers and 451 growers in the state since Oct. 8.
Meanwhile, Melaka KPDNHEP has denied allegations of cartel involvement in manipulating vegetable prices that led to the spike.
Its manager, Norena Jaafar, said vegetable prices in Melaka depended on the quantity obtained by traders, mainly from suppliers at the Kuala Lumpur wholesale market in Selayang, except for Cameron Highlands and local farmers in the state.
She said there was no cartel involvement, adding that the spike in vegetable prices was due to other factors such as insufficient supply, weather conditions and transport costs.
She told reporters after inspecting a supermarket here today, in response to today’s newspaper article about the allegation by Cameron Highlands Malay Farmers Association chairman Datuk Syed Abd Rahman Syed Abd Rashid , who claimed that nationwide markets have “fixed cartel prices” depending on the area.
Vegetable supply in Melaka is expected to be disrupted in the coming days due to yesterday’s landslide incident at Jalan Simpang Pulai-Cameron Highlands, she said, adding that it could lead to a further increase in state vegetable prices. — Bernama
