Tuition centres fined for price fixing

KUALA LUMPUR: Seven tuition and daycare centres in SS19 Subang Jaya have been fined a total of RM33,068.85 after they were found guilty of engaging in price fixing.

The centres have also been required to undergo and complete an online course on competition compliance for small and medium enterprises.

Price fixing has been described by the Malaysia Competition Commission (MyCC) as a hardcore cartel.

According to MyCC, the centres infringed Section 4 of the Competition Act 2010 (Act 712) by entering into an agreement in May 2017 to collectively fix and standardise their fees.

“Price fixing is a hardcore cartel. It victimises the rakyat and forces consumers to pay unnecessarily expensive prices.

“The commission will not hesi- tate to take stern action against any cartel in order to protect consumers,” said MyCC chief executive officer Iskandar Ismail.

He said the centres were also required to immediately cease and desist from the act of price fixing and to repudiate the agreement with immediate effect.

“The decision was made after considering the written submissions and oral representations by the enterprises,” Iskandar said in a statement.

Price fixing is a hardcore cartel. It victimises the rakyat and forces consumers to pay unnecessarily expensive prices. Iskandar Ismail