KUALA LUMPUR – The National Action Council on Cost of Living (NACCL), set up to address issues and challenges related to the matter, only met twice in the span of months despite soaring prices of goods.
This was revealed to the Dewan Rakyat by Deputy Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Rosol Wahid.
According to Rosol, the council chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had met on December 9, 2021 and January 31 this year to discuss measures to be taken to address the rising costs of living.
He said these special meetings proved the government’s commitment to resolve the issue that has affected the rakyat.
Rosol went on to detail some of the initiatives taken by the government to reduce the impact of soaring prices, including the introduction of the Keluarga Malaysia Sales Programme, regulating the prices of cooking oil, and extending the maximum price scheme for essential goods like chicken until June.
Other short-term measures include reducing the price of standard chickens, issuance of subsidies to chicken farmers, and doing away with the practice of middlemen through the involvement of agricultural-related corporations.
As for medium and long-term plans, the deputy minister said the Malaysia Competition Commission is conducting a probe on the possible existence of cartels monopolising the chicken industry, while the Finance Ministry is studying the possibility of tax incentives for the transformation of poultry farms.
Rosol was responding to questions from Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (Pandan-PH) on the measures being taken by NACCL to ensure reasonable prices of essential items.
The revelation by the deputy minister that the council had only met two times did not impress Wan Azizah, who also questioned the government’s plan to address the impact of climate change, as well as the country's high reliance on import goods.
“You have only met twice. The last was on (January 31). But now it is already March,” an ostensibly dissatisfied Wan Azizah said.
To a separate question from Abdul Latiff Rahman (Kuala Krai-PAS), Rosol admitted that the stabilisation of prices of essential goods, while pleasurable (“menyeronokkan”) to the rakyat, comes as a burden to the government.
“This is because the government is forced to spend such a huge cost to stabilise these prices,” he said.
Rosol, however, denied that traders are resorting to hoarding their goods as a result of the government’s implementation of ceiling prices on a number of items.
He said as of today, there has been no report on this matter, while pointing out that his ministry has mobilised over 2,000 officers to monitor stock and prices. – The Vibes, March 8, 2022
