The government will not bow down to pressure over its move to get retailers to have a licence to sell flour, sugar and cooking oil from July 1, said Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Comsumerism Minister Ismail Sabri Yaacob.

He said the issue should not have been raised as the new requirement did not in any way burden retailers and which was also agreed to by their association.

ismail sabri yaakob "What is the problem, retailers do not have to leave their premises to get the licence. Our officers will go to them to process the licence and it is free.

"Even if the retailer is illiterate there is no problem as our officers will help fill up the forms (to get the licence).

"I do not see any problems in this issue," he said in reply to Nga Kor Ming (DAP-Taiping) who had complained that the move would burden retailers in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Ismail Sabri, who was winding up debate on the Direct Selling Bill 2010, said the move was being taken to plug loopholes in the supply chain for this items as shortages seemed to be regular thing.

On Monday, the Federation of Sundry Goods Merchants Associations of Malaysia had threatened to stop sale of flour, sugar and cooking oil from June 15 on the grounds that they were burdened with too much licensing requirements and low margins on these items.

NGOs support price control

Meanwhile, in a related development, several NGOs have given their full support for price control on sugar by the government to ensure adequate supply for consumers.

hamdan adnan interview 280706 reflecting Federation of Malaysian Consumer Associations (Fomca) advisor Hamdan Adnan said the move would ensure that the commodity was available to all consumers in the country.

"Our sugar price is the cheapest in the region. If the commodity is not controlled, I fear wholesalers or retailers would take the opportunity to raise its price when there are talks of subsidy reduction, smuggling and so on," he said when contacted today.

He was commenting on the report by a local English newspaper yesterday on the shortage of sugar faced by consumers and wholesalers in several states.

Ismail Sabri yesterday announced that the government would increase the supply of sugar by five per cent to all wholesalers and retailers nationwide beginning this month.

The price of sugar was raised by 20 sen per kilo to RM1.65 in peninsular Malaysia and RM1.75 in Sabah and Sarawak in January.

The secretary of the Malaysian Muslim Consumer Association (PPIM) Nadzim Johan said the government's move could prevent price increases by retailers, besides educating the community on the need to reduce excessive sugar consumption.

"The association has been supporting the price control on sugar by the government right from the start as we fear the traders would increase the price arbitrarily," he said.

- Bernama