State MDTCC chief: RM23m netted in seizures last year
MIRI: Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism ( MDTCC) Sarawak netted over RM23 million in seizures for various offences last year.
According to MDTCC Sarawak director Datuk Stanley Tan, a total of 79,360 premises were inspected throughout the state – 59,644 in towns and cities and 19,716 in rural areas – with RM81,500 collected from compounds on 749 cases.
The breakdown of the data by Acts is as follows:
Under The Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011, 357 cases were recorded with total value of seizure at RM54,557.58 and RM44,500 in compounds.
Under Supply Control Act 1961, 34 cases were recorded with total value of seizure at RM22,632,804.60.
Whereas under the Hire Purchase Act 1967, six cases were recorded and RM800 was collected in compounds.
A total of 124 cases were recorded under the Trade Descriptions Act 2011, with total value of seizure at RM219,253.55 and total value of compound at RM6,800.00.
The value of seizure from 203 cases recorded under the Weights and Measures Act 1972 was RM69,146.60 while amount collected in compounds was RM27,250.
For the seven cases under Copyrights Act 1987, the total value of seizure was RM42,351.30.
There were no cases reported under the Direct Selling and AntiPyramid Scheme Act 1993.
As for this year, we have started our inspection and enforcement from Jan 1 to 9 at 478 premises and so far there are 13 on-going processes as of now.
As for the Consumer Protection Act 1999, 18 cases with seizures worth RM7,893 and total value of compound worth RM2,050 were recorded.
“As for this year, we have started our inspection and enforcement from Jan 1 to 9 at 478 premises and so far there are 13 on- going processes as of now.
“We will continue to take action against traders that do not comply with the rules,” he told reporters at the press conference here yesterday after witnessing the handover of duty between the new Miri MDTCC chief Joe Azmi Jamil and the outgoing chief Alexander Averon Suwin.
Tan also informed that MDTCC will enforce the Chinese New year Price Control Scheme from Jan 20 to Jan 31.
“The 13 items for Chinese New year Price Control Scheme will be announced by Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin ( Minister of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism) soon and we hope traders will follow the rules and regulations.
“This is part of our enforcement effort to protect the rights of consumers and I believe the most important thing is self compliance among the consumers as well as the business community,” he added.
Datuk Stanley Tan, MDTCC Sarawak director