SIBU - The public is urged not to lodge complaints that are too general on supply issues or price of consumer goods.
Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said such complaints could not help his ministry to determine whether an issue really occurred or not.
He said KPDNHEP welcomes any complaints related to consumer goods with seven channels set up for them to do so.
"Let's make a complaint based on facts. Don’t just to say there is a problem and make a report without facts. This is not helping us in our investigation, ” he said after visiting a warehouse owned by a wholesale company here today.
He was asked about people who like to complain about the high price of cooking oil through social media platforms as opposed to using the channels provided by his ministry.
Nanta, who is also the MP for Kapit, said every complaint made would be followed up by an investigation by uniformed KPDNHEP members such as the Price Monitoring Officers (PPH) or Consumerism Officers appointed in each parliamentary constituency in the country.
The task in the field to monitor the supply and price of consumer goods is carried out all the time.
In the meantime, he said the visit found no problem in terms of the supply of subsidised 1kg packet cooking oil or unsubsidised 5kg bottled cooking oil at the warehouse of the imported goods wholesaler.
"One brand of cooking oil distributed from here has a retail price of RM39 for a 5 kg bottle. This is a good sign because the price of crude palm oil in the global market is currently down, " he said.
His ministry and the Special Task Force on Jihad Against Inflation have called on industry players to put a fair price on cooking oil following the drop in world crude palm oil prices.
"This should not be placed on the shoulders of the wholesalers alone but the refinery should do the same so that the price of retail cooking oil also goes down," he added.
Meanwhile, in a post on his Facebook page later today, Nanta said the price of bottled cooking oil at the retail level was beginning to go down, following the decline in the price of crude palm oil (CPO) in the market to RM3,814 per tonne yesterday - the lowest since July 2021 - while the highest rate of RM8,076 was recorded in March.
According to him, based on KPDNHEP's price simulation prior to this, the current crude palm oil rate (RM3,814.50) should cause the price of a 5kg bottle of cooking oil to be marketed at the retail level at around RM30.65.
However, he said the 'reflection' or direct effect of the CPO price reduction on the retail price was seen to happen very slowly.
Accordingly, he said the Special Task Force on Jihad Against Inflation had emphasised to the industry that any reduction in the price of CPO should have a direct impact on the price of bottled cooking oil at the retail level.
"There should be no parties trying to delay the price change according to the CPO, with the excuse of wanting to finish the older supplies.
"Based on engagements with the Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities (MPIC), I was informed that efforts are currently underway to change the purchase price of fresh fruit bunches (FFB) on a weekly basis, instead of monthly," he said, adding that through the effort, any direct impact on prices can be seen in within an average of a week to a week and a half, compared to two to two and a half months now. - BERNAMA