A restaurant owner in Subang Jaya was today fined RM4,000 by the Shah Alam Sessions Court for a price increase on a plate of nasi lemak.

T Gopinath, operator of Silva's Curry House, pleaded guilty to failing to maintain proper business records to justify the nasi lemak price increase when the charge was read out to him before Judge Ahmad Azhari Abdul Hamid.

The judge also ordered Gopinath, 36, to serve 14 days in jail in default. He paid the fine.

The offence was committed on June 29, 2015, at the restaurant located at No 121, Jalan SS15/5A, Subang Jaya, Selangor.

He was charged under Section 53A of the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011, and the offence is punishable under Section 57(b) of the same Act, which provides for a fine not exceeding RM50,000 or a jail term of up to two years, or both.

According to the facts of the case, acting on public information on June 29 last year, enforcement officers from the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry office in Shah Alam conducted an inspection at the restaurant on the shop's nasi lemak price increase from RM2.50 to RM3.50 in February last year.

In mitigation, Gopinath who was unrepresented, appealed for leniency as (he said) his business income was about RM5,000 a month and this was his first offence after running the restaurant for 13 years.

The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutor A Kathiyayini.

In the same court, Trendcell Sdn Bhd, the owner of Jaya Grocer Supermarket, was fined RM30,000 for committing an offence under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011.

Judge Ahmad Azhari imposed the fine on the company after its director Ting Pooi Guang, 60, pleaded guilty to increasing the price of Sweet Meadow New Zealand Wild Flower Honey weighing 500g from RM28.90 to RM43.99 on May 6, last year at Mutiara Tropicana, Petaling Jaya.

Kathiyayini appeared for the prosecution while the accused was represented by counsel V Kalearasu.

- Bernama