CALL FOR ONE-STOP CENTER TO COMPLAIN ABOUT GOODS PRICES

Sin Chew Jit Poh
2015-03-03 15:48

KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 (Bernama) -- A one stop centre for consumers to lodge complaints on unreasonable prices of goods should be set up in a bid to tackle the issue of traders raising the prices of goods at their whims and fancy, more effectively.Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public And Civil Services (Cuepacs) president Datuk Azih Muda said the centre could also function as data collection base before the information be channeled to the relevant authorities, such as the Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism Ministry, for further action.

"Through the centre, the authority can take action based on the data to solve the issues involving consumers and traders," he said when appearing as a guest on Bernama TV's talk show 'Ruang Bicara' last night. Another guest, law practitioner Noorhajran Mohd Noor, on the other hand, said every consumer should know their rights so as to avoid being cheated.

"Make ourselves (consumers) a king so that the traders will respect our consumer rights without any elements of cheating in the sale and purchase process," she said.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association (PPIM) chief activist Datuk Nadzmi Johan said most consumers were not really aware of their rights and this issue should be addressed through education. "Consumer rights should be included in our national education system from the primary to tertiary level so that it can be practised in the future," he said.

Nadzmi said consumers in Malaysia should also emulate their counterparts in Japan and the United States who did not have to wait for the government's help in practising their rights and power as consumers.