THE government has announced a temporary price control initiative for selected food items in conjunction with the Kaamatan and Gawai festivals, aiming to ensure fair prices for consumers while minimising disruptions to the business community.
Speaking on the initiative, Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) Minister, Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said: “The duration of the price control initiative considers the interests of consumers and the business community, allowing consumers to purchase essential items at reasonable prices while ensuring that traders are not burdened by a lengthy enforcement period.”
For the Kaamatan Festival, the list of controlled items includes live pigs—with maximum prices capped only at the farm level—as well as pork cuts such as meat, fat, and belly. Additional items under price regulation include buffalo meat imported from India (excluding tenderloin), chicken wings, curly dried chillies, small red onions from India, and garlic from China.
In celebration of the Gawai Festival, the price control measures will cover live pigs, pork (meat, fat, and belly), live old chickens, and chicken wings. Vegetables such as round cabbage imported from Indonesia and China—excluding Beijing cabbage—are also included, along with garlic from China and curly dried chillies.
The initiative reflects the government’s commitment to maintaining affordability of key food products during major cultural festivities, while also supporting local businesses through a balanced and time-limited enforcement strategy. - May 23, 2025
