THE National Consumer Foundation (NCF) wants certain grocery shops in Miri and Bintulu, Sarawak, to stop the unethical practice of forcing customers to purchase other items as a condition to buying chicken eggs.
NCF president Datuk Mohd Firdaus Abdullah said these shops started imposing the condition a few weeks ago.
“We have received complaints from the public that shops in Bintulu and Miri only allow customers to buy eggs if they buy other things.
“This is very serious and should not happen,” he said after a half-day seminar in Sibu on “Challenges of Consumers in Investment”.
Separately, he said the foundation wanted the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry to set up the Sarawak Regional Consumers Movement Council for better protection of consumers.
“We want our representatives to sit in the council so we can clear matters that involve consumerism, environmental complaints or any other complaints to the district council for solutions,” he said.
Firdaus said the Consumers Movement Council already existed in peninsular Malaysia.
“This council can act as a bridge between consumers and the government at state and district levels,” he said.
He also noted that the Federal Government had fulfilled NCF’s previous requests.
“Ten years ago in Sibu, when we were known as Malaysia Consumer Association, we requested the Federal Government to ensure that prices of goods in Sabah and Sarawak were the same as those in the peninsula.
“This has been fulfilled as the government is bearing the transport cost of goods to the two states.
“Now you can see that prices of goods in Miri and Kapit are the same as those in peninsular Malaysia,” he added.
Another one of the organisation’s requests was for the Federal Government to build a highway from Kuching to Kota Kinabalu.
“Previously goods had to be sent by air cargo, thus they are costlier,” said Firdaus.
“With the Pan-Borneo Highway nearing completion, we can now send goods by road. This will benefit the people,” he said.
Some 200 people comprising traders and consumers participated in the seminar, which was organised by the foundation in collaboration with Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry, the police and the Sarawak Regional Health Department.
Source: The Star
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