BY NEVILLE TIMOTHY SANDERS & AMMAR MIRZA
KUCHING: Four essential items at Emart Batu Kawa here are being sold at prices well below the ceiling set under the Christmas 2025 Festive Season Maximum Price Scheme (SHMMP).
Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) Sarawak director Mathhew Dominic Barin said the items are carrots, potatoes, large red onions and large yellow onions.
“The controlled maximum price for carrots is RM5.50, but the supermarket is selling them at RM3.69, while potatoes, capped at RM3.50, are being sold for as low as RM1.69.
“For large red onions, the controlled maximum price is RM4.50, but they are sold at RM2.70, while large yellow onions, also controlled at RM4.50, are sold at RM2.90,” he told reporters after a SHMMP walkabout at Emart Batu Kawa on Tuesday (Dec 23).
Mathhew stressed that the lower prices were not meant to promote any particular trader, but to demonstrate cooperation between authorities and retailers in ensuring essential goods remain affordable and reasonably priced for the public.
“The purpose of price control is to ensure affordability for consumers. If traders are able to offer prices lower than the controlled level, that is a positive development and should be encouraged as it benefits consumers.”
He added that the ministry does not interfere with traders’ business strategies, as long as they comply with the gazetted maximum prices.
“We control the maximum price. If traders choose to sell at a lower price, that is entirely their decision and it works in favour of consumers.”
On the implementation of the Christmas 2025 SHMMP in Sarawak, Mathhew said a total of 14 price-controlled items have been gazetted, with enforcement carried out over a five-day period – two days before Christmas, on the day itself and two days after.
The items include imported bone-in mutton, chicken wings (Sabah, Sarawak and the Federal Territory of Labuan only), live old chickens (Sarawak only), imported round cabbage from Indonesia and China (excluding Beijing cabbage), carrots from China, tomatoes, red chillies and green capsicum.
Also on the list are large red onions, large yellow onions, imported potatoes from China, live pigs at the farm level only (controlled in Sarawak, Sabah and the Federal Territory of Labuan), pork belly, as well as pork meat and fat for Sarawak, Sabah and the Federal Territory of Labuan.
Mathhew said the scheme is enforced under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act (AKHAP) 2011 at the farm, wholesale and retail levels, adding that the gazetted prices can be checked on the ministry’s official website.
He also reminded traders to comply with the maximum prices and to display pink price tags for all price-controlled items.
“Traders found selling controlled goods above the maximum price may face action under the Act, including fines of up to RM100,000 or imprisonment of up to three years, or both, or a compound of up to RM50,000 for individuals.
“Companies may be fined up to RM500,000 or compounded up to RM250,000.”
For offences involving failure to display pink price tags, individuals may be fined up to RM10,000 or compounded up to RM5,000, while companies may face fines of up to RM20,000 or a compound of up to RM10,000.
Members of the public with complaints may lodge them via WhatsApp at 019-848 8000, email e-aduan@kpdn.gov.my, the hotline 1-800-886-800 or the Ez ADU KPDN application.
