Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Mansor has been told to step down after his "nonsensical" theory that the opposition parties are behind price increases at restaurants.

Tengku Adnan yesterday claimed the opposition was to be blamed for driving prices up through collusion of its members in food traders' associations.

"This simplistic and nonsensical argument should never have come from the mouth of someone dubbed a minister. It shames the entire executive and belittles the rakyat, who are constantly watching the government's performance.

"After the government's implication in all sorts of scandals, now a minister makes ridiculous arguments such as these. One should not be surprised if the rakyat now equate ministers with clowns," said Johor DAP assistant publicity secretary Sheikh Omar Ali in a statement.

He said it is in fact to government's failure in economic governance that has caused hardships for the people, not alleged collusion by DAP and PKR members as claimed.

Tengku Adnan alleged the opposition party members were purposely colluding in food traders' associations to hike prices to negate all purported efforts by the government to keep prices in check.

He said hikes of 50 sen for a glass of teh tarik following a subsidy cut in sugar of 34 sen per kilogram is illogical.

He said the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) will also work with the Domestic Trade, Consumerism and Co-operatives Ministry to make sure traders are not profiteering.