KUALA LUMPUR – Retailers have been reminded yet again not to sell sugar with conditions, as it is against the law.
Deputy Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Fuziah Salleh said action can be taken against any retailer found to be doing so, including suspending their business licence.
“Conditional sales are a violation of the Control of Supplies Act 1961. Sometimes retailers want to make a profit, as their profit margin for standard sugar is very thin, like 10 sen.
“But we need to remind them that this is wrong,” she said as a guest on Bernama TV’s Ruang Bicara programme titled Sugar Supply Issue, Where’s the Sweetness?, last night.
There have been reports that retailers have imposed conditions that consumers must purchase 1kg of premium sugar at RM4.60 a pack for every 2kg of coarse sugar costing RM2.85 a pack.
Fuziah shared that seven investigation papers relating to conditional sugar sales had been opened since her ministry launched Ops Manis in early May, adding that the issue has been successfully controlled through strict enforcement action.
On the difficult situation Malaysians are in due to rising prices, she said they should be educated about their power as consumers, which can help determine whether prices rise or fall in the open market.
“We are in an open economic market. Malaysians actually have power as consumers. We can determine the supply and demand.
“If the item is too expensive, and if they boycott, that item will drop in price. That’s in an open economic market. So, we need to educate our consumers that they have this capability,” she added. – Bernama, June 14, 2023
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