Fair price shops: You choose
Consumers in Sabah will play a more relevant role to select the Fair Price Shops in Sabah by providing information to district officers in the various districts in the state.
KOTA KINABALU: Consumers in Sabah will play a more relevant role to select the Fair Price Shops in Sabah.
Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Jainab Ahmad Ayid said consumers can suggest shops that are selling goods and rendering services at a fair price to district officers (DOs) in each respective district in the state.
Among the types of businesses qualified for the award include restaurants, sundry shops, village shops, repair shops, tyre shops and furniture shops, she explained.
“We will then list them and get the word out. Afterwards, we will monitor, do a competition and spread the word,” said the minister.
“It will be up to the consumers; we will need the input of the consumers as well,” she added.
Jainab proposed candidacy suggestions should be given to DBKK or the state’s DOs, who are chairpersons of the rising prices of goods and services committee in each respective areas.
The DOs will in turn be responsible in extending it to the Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Ministry (KPDNKK), she told a press conference held after the rising prices of goods and services committee meeting involving the ministry, KPDNKK, and 24 DOs and representatives from National Security Council (MKN) and other government bodies.
Jainab revealed that the ministry will draw up papers to address the price increase of good and services in the state using resources and suggestions from the committee. These papers will be presented to the state cabinet on February 23.
She also reiterated her call for the public to play an active role in preventing unscrupulous business from profiteering by empowering themselves with the concept of 3M, memilih, memboikot, melapor (choose, boycott, report).
Jainab again urged the people to help the government to tackle the problem by reporting incidences with proof to the correct channel instead of turning the issue into a viral sensation online.
“We have DBKK, only 24 district offices, 60 DUN (state constituencies, 25 parliament (constituencies) in Sabah but only 69 KPDNKK here.
“We have discussed about the importance of consumer awareness regarding their responsibilities,” she said.
The minister elaborated, besides KPDNKK, consumers should be aware that matters can be brought forward to the state’s Tribunal Courts in Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau.
District offices also have a hand in the licensing aspect of indiscriminate business activities and will cooperate with relevant authorities in charge of monitoring, regulating and enforcement of the law.
In addition, the police and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission(SKMM) will also be involved in bringing the offenders to justice this year, said Jainab.
The minister also warned against dealing with faceless or online based businesses.
She urged Facebook and social media users to also lodge reports on unscrupulous online business offenders to the police and suggested SKMM to then monitor them.
“I have told KPDNKK, we will take drastic action. Maximum fine will imposed because we know they are profiteering. Minimal compound will not have much effect.
“If need be, we will imprison second and third offenders. There are acts that include imprisonment,” she stressed.
“We will take action on these people and we will blacklist them for 2016. I mean business, (Sabah) CM (Chief Minister) means business, we mean business.
“I see a lot of things have gone up. We will take action against the third party. I see there is a third party that is taking advantage during these tough times. We will not hesitate in enforcing KPDNKK and other Acts, including getting the police to take action, to bring any parties to the courts for action,” Jainab emphasized.