KUALA LUMPUR: The Control of Supplies (Amendment) Bill 2021 which will give officers of the Ministry of Internal Trade and Consumer Affairs the power to make warrantless arrests and sell certain types of seized controlled goods, will be tabled in the current session of Dewan Rakyat.
Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi (photo) said the bill, which seeks to strengthen the Control of Supplies Act 1961, consists of a section dealing with an amendment to section 10 of the act and also the introduction of three new sections .
“The Bill consists of an amendment to Section 10 to extend the power (of) officers to make an arrest without a warrant against a person reasonably suspected of having committed or attempted to commit an offense under the Act.
“The Bill will also see the introduction of Section 12A, intended to give officers the power to sell controlled goods that are perishable, flammable or require expensive care.
“Section 12B, which is to exclude claims against the government by any party in respect of seized property unless the seizure was made without reasonable cause, will also be introduced,” he told Dewan Rakyat on Monday 14 March.
Another addition to Section 25A, which aims to allow sampling when inspecting and testing seized controlled items, he added.
He said improvements to the Supply Control Act would make it more effective to investigate and prosecute cases of diversion of controlled items.
With constantly updated and improved legislation and enforcement, he added, commercial crime can be reduced and the continued presence of essential commodity goods in the market is ensured.
Earlier, Datuk Robert Lawson Chuat (GPS-Betong) asked the minister whether there is a need for the ministry’s implementing laws to be amended or updated to be relevant to current challenges.
Alexander said the Direct Selling and Anti-Pyramid System Act 1993 will also be amended to broaden the scope of direct selling with the aim of promoting good direct selling practices.
He added that the ministry was also reviewing several regulations, including the Consumer Protection (Electronic Commercial Transactions) Regulations, the Hire Purchase Regulations and the Price Control and Anti-Profit Regulations, to see if changes were needed.
