KUALA LUMPUR: Oct 29, 2026 – The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) is preparing to act against any attempt at price gouging following the implementation of the RM2,000 minimum wage policy, which will take effect in June next year.
Papar MP Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali issued the stern warning in his policy-level winding-up speech for his ministry during the Budget 2027 debate in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
He disclosed that 850 Price Monitoring Officers (PPH) have been deployed to conduct daily monitoring of 316 essential items at more than 2,000 premises nationwide as an early preventive measure.
“KPDN will not tolerate this. Firm action against cartel practices, price-fixing and bid-rigging is also being further strengthened through enforcement of the new Competition Act amendment after it was gazetted on Oct 23,” he said.
The move enables the Malaysia Competition Commission (MyCC) to act against 18 enterprises suspected of involvement in bid-rigging cartels involving 30 tenders worth RM108.3 million.
On the proposal to shift the RAHMAH MADANI Sales Programme (PJRM) to an online platform, Armizan rejected it. Of the 3,091 PJRM strategic partners to date, 630 are small retail shop operators receiving assistance to sustain their businesses.
KPDN has also tightened controls against the leakage of subsidised goods through real-time technology integration. A three-pronged strategy via eCOSS, Mobile eCOSS and Ops Tiris 3.0 recorded controlled sales of 168.7 million cooking oil packets since May 1 last year.
The latest monitoring system has been enhanced with forensic audits of packing companies, and the integration of NFC technology into new identity cards and the SARA system to ensure national subsidies reach legitimate citizens.
