KUALA LUMPUR – Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi found himself on the receiving end of opposition brickbats this morning over his response on the recent price hike of basic goods.
Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat, Nanta (Kapit-GPS) said price increases for food items are not exclusive to Malaysia but are being felt globally, with a spike of up to 30% this year.
He added that the ministry will increase its enforcement on irresponsible quarters who are making unreasonable profits and warned traders against increasing prices of controlled items ahead of Christmas.
Nanta was responding to Lim Guan Eng (Bagan-PH) who wanted to know what the ministry is doing to reduce the prices of goods that have seen sharp increases this month.
Unimpressed by the minister’s answer, Lim said it is unfair to only blame traders for the hikes as it has more to do with supply and demand, and pressed for a proper response to the issue.
“Several associations have said that prices of vegetables are even higher than those of meat now. Even chilli costs RM20 per kg. When Pakatan Harapan (PH) was the government, it was never like this.
“This is a historic high. Stop blaming the traders, they are also victims. I think it is wrong to take the approach of punishing them,” he said, while urging the government to announce a special fund using the windfall tax to keep prices affordable.
“You have said before that this issue will be concluded by December 9. If it is not, will the minister take responsibility?”
Nanta said he has no issue being held responsible if the matter persists, and insisted that the situation today is very complex, and that the control of goods’ prices is not entirely in the hands of the ministry alone.
“I could make a promise to resign. Port Dickson (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) had once said that if PH wins the election, prices of fuel would go down the next day. But it never did.
“Iskandar Puteri (Lim Kit Siang) also said once that if Anwar didn’t become the prime minister, he would step down. So what promise are we talking about? I don’t want to use this Dewan as a platform for politics.”
Nanta dismissed suggestions that his ministry is only targeting traders, saying his ministry has not capped the prices of goods, understanding that businesses are forced to sell at a higher price due to unforeseen circumstances.
He added that the ministry is also conducting discussions with the relevant stakeholders to find a solution to the issue.
To this, Anwar said: “You have a cabinet, so take this issue up to the cabinet. You can solve this together. People have been waiting so long.”
Nanta then said the government is in the midst of helping stakeholders ensure operating costs can be subsidised, adding that if this can be done, the ministry will set a maximum price for goods at farm gates, and cap wholesale and retail prices.
Anwar however said the country is currently at a point of emergency and that immediate action must be taken.
“We don’t have two months to plan. No. It must be today. We want to know what the government is doing today. It’s a national crisis,” he said, to which Nanta responded by claiming drastic interventions can be expected soon. – The Vibes, November 30, 2021
