Supermarket raided for suspected sales violation

IPOH: The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) conducted a raid on a newly opened supermarket branch in Kuala Kangsar on Thursday due to suspected sales requirement violations.

Perak state director, Datuk Kamalludin Ismail, said the inspection was conducted following a social media viral advertisement regarding the sale of controlled-item sugar priced at RM 0.10 per packet.

“Based on public complaints, it was noted that the sugar price offered was considered highly reasonable and restricted to the first 200 customers during the opening of the new supermarket branch, which also has branches nationwide.

“We also found that there were discounted offers for carbonated drinks priced at RM0.99 cents, since March 16,” he said in a statement yesterday.

He said initial investigations revealed that the supermarket in question allegedly failed to apply for a permit to conduct discounted sales exceeding three days during the opening of their new branch, which constitutes an offense under Regulation 3(1) of the Trade Descriptions (Cheap Sale Price) Regulations 1997 (Amendment) 2019. He stated that further inspections found that the supermarket was suspected of not possessing a retail licence to sell sugar, cooking oil, and flour as stipulated under Regulation 3(1) of the Control of Supplies Regulations 1974.

Kamalludin added that sugar, cooking oil, flour, related sales receipts, and documents, valued at RM 200 were seized.

The case is being investigated under the Control of Supplies Act 1961, for failure to possess a retail licence, which is punishable by a fine of up to RM2 million, upon conviction of a corporate body.

In cases where Cheap Sale Price applications were not submitted under the Trade Descriptions (Cheap Sale Price) Regulations 1997 (Amendment) 2019, a corporate body could be fined up to RM25,000, upon conviction. — Bernama