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Published: Friday December 17, 2010 MYT 5:38:00 PM
Prices of 14 food items to be capped for Christmas
By MAZWIN NIK ANIS
PUTRAJAYA: The prices of 14 essential food items will be capped during the coming Christmas celebration to ensure consumers are able to enjoy the festivity without having to worry about exorbitant food prices.
The ceiling price will be enforced for five days from December 23 till 27 and this includes live and standard chicken, imported turkey, chicken eggs, tomatoes, green capsicum and local and imported mutton.
Domestic Trade, Consumerism and Co-operatives Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said Friday the ceiling price for essential food items would be imposed during every festive season to ensure Malaysians need not dig deep into their pockets when celebrating festivities.
“We are a caring government. Furthermore, we do not want retailers and wholesalers to take advantage of the surge in demand to hike up prices discriminately,” he told reporters.
The maximum retail price of standard chicken (slaughtered and dressed chicken which legs, head, liver and gizzard) is RM7.20 per kg and chicken sold without legs, head, liver and gizzard is RM8.05 per kg.
The ministry has also set the price for imported turkey at RM25 per kg, local beef (RM20 per kg), local bone-in mutton (RM30 per kg), imported bone-in mutton (RM20 per kg), imported boneless mutton (RM24 per kg), tomatoes (RM5 per kg) and green capsicum (RM10 per kg).
Ismail Sabri reminded retailers to label these items with pink-coloured stickers or risk a compound. Repeat offenders could also be taken to court where they would face a heavier fine and even jail.
“Our enforcement team will be on the ground to monitor traders and wholesalers to ensure they do not sell the goods beyond the ceiling price.
“We will also rope in our volunteers to be our “eyes” on the ground. Consumers should also play their part by reporting errant traders to us so that appropriate action can be taken,” he said.
