SHAH ALAM, Feb 24 — The federal government is conducting a nationwide audit of basic goods prices, focusing on Sabah, Sarawak, and rural areas, said Deputy Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Fuziah Salleh.
She told the Dewan Rakyat that 850 officers are monitoring prices daily at supermarkets, markets, and retail outlets nationwide.
She added the audit forms part of the government’s ongoing effort to ensure essential goods remain affordable and accessible nationwide.
“Data collected allows us to detect unusual hikes and take action against profiteering,” she said during the question and answer session in Parliament, Kuala Lumpur, today.
According to Fuziah, logistics and transportation remain the main factors of price differences in East Malaysia.
She said the government has also set up over 1,400 distribution posts in Sabah and Sarawak to ensure essential goods reach consumers in remote areas.
These posts act as logistics and supply centres to stabilise prices and maintain consistent availability of items like rice, cooking oil, and other basic necessities, especially in rural communities.
“We have 608 distribution posts in Sabah and 820 in Sarawak to stabilise prices and ensure supply.”
On market cartels, Fuziah said the government is targeting those across the supply chain — from rice and chicken to vegetables — to maintain fair pricing.
