PARLIAMENT An Umno minister has said that price hikes are done by business people and traders who do not believe in God.

"God has never told anyone to raise price or reduce it. The problem is those who don't believe in God are the ones who always raise prices.

"Those who believe in God will follow ethical practices and won't simply raise prices," Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Minister Hamzah Zainuddin said.

He was responding to Dr Tan Seng Giaw (DAP-Kepong) who asked whether hike in the prices of goods lies in the hands of God.

"He (Tan) asked the question and you don't know whether he believes in God or not," he slammed.

When met at the Parliament lobby, Hamzah said he wasn't at all amused by Tan's question.

"This is not very funny," he criticised.

"Ethics of traders needed to balance the domestic economy and consumerism.

"If not, the consumers will feel that they are being cheated by the traders who take extravagant profits. They will stop buying. The traders will suffer a loss at the end," he said.

"I want the traders to do business in an ethical way, so the consumers would feel comfortable... then no issue of God raising the price," he quipped.

Umno Ulama Muda secretariat chairperson Fathul Bari Mat Jahaya had once said the price of goods were determined by God in his attempt to persuade the public accept the price hike.

Such remarks had drawn flak in the social media.