Consumers cooperation could stop price manipulation by traders

KUCHING: Consumers have the ability to influence the price of goods if they take a common stand in avoiding manipulation by traders.

Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said by doing so, consumers will be able to put pressure on producers and traders to lower the price of goods.

“As consumers, we have our rights and this can determine the price between demand and supply theoretically. This means that as consumers, if we establish a mutual agreement amongst ourselves, we will be able to determine the price of goods,” he said at the ‘ Kami Pengguna Bijak’ ( We are Smart Consumers’) Programme at Samariang Constituency Service Centre here yesterday.

Fadillah, who is also Petra Jaya MP, however noted that the awareness of consumer rights in Malaysia was still low unlike in advanced countries such as Europe where the consumers were very much aware of their rights and thus would not be manipulated by traders.

But by cooperating as a common force, he said consumers could go against the traders much like what had occurred recently in Sabah involving the sale of subsidised cooking oil.

“The sellers would buy all the 1kg packets of subsidised cooking oil and resell them after repackaging them in large- sized bottles to manipulate the price of the cooking oil.

“But what the consumers did to fi ght for their rights was they worked together with the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co- operatives, Consumerism ( KPDNKK) to sell the subsidised cooking oil at the retail price and not long after, traders in the area no longer manipulated the price of the cooking oil.”

He also hoped that consumers would work together to fight for their rights by using the social media to raise awareness of traders who manipulate the price of goods.

“If we see any trader manipulating the price of goods, we should post this on social media so that other consumers can avoid being taken advantage of while at the same time report this to KPDNKK for further action.

“This is our rights as consumers so that we are not manipulated by irresponsible traders,” he stressed.

Also present were PBB Samariang branch Women chief Hanifah Saed, KPDNKK head of Consumerism Section Marrianee Jemlin and enforcement officer Awang Ahed Awang Ahmad.

Fadillah (second left) hands over the appointment letter as KPDNKK consumer coordinator for Petra Jaya parliamentary constituency to Hayati Abdullah, witnessed by Hanifah (third left), Marrianee (third right) and Awang Ahed (left).