KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 — The public should not engage in panic buying over concerns that the conflict in West Asia could affect import supplies to the country, as the supply of essential goods, particularly for the upcoming Hari Raya Aidilfitri festive season, is sufficient.
Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said his ministry would work closely with the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry (MAFS) as well as the Investment, Trade, and Industry Ministry (MITI) to identify alternative sources of supply should any exporting countries suspend exports due to the conflict.
“I would like to assure the public not to worry and not to engage in panic buying as the supply of essential goods for the festive season is sufficient and already available in the country,” he said during a media conference on the Festive Season Maximum Price Scheme (SHMMP) for Aidilfitri and MADANI Rahmah Sales Programme (PJRM) today.
Armizan added that the SHMMP Aidilfitri 2026 would be implemented from March 14 to March 28 to control the prices of 27 essential items during the festive season, which include large yellow onions, large red onions, red chillies, long beans, green mustard leaves, and coconut milk, while dhal is an additional item this year.
KPDN enforcement officers would conduct on-the-ground monitoring and enforcement to ensure compliance with the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011.
In another development, he said KPDN is targeting 1,898 series of PJRM nationwide throughout Ramadan.
“As of March 9, a total of 910 programmes have been implemented while the remaining 988 are scheduled to be held until a day before the 1st of Syawal,” Armizan said.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had instructed that the number of items sold under the programme be increased to at least 50 types in the final week of Ramadan, compared with the previous average of 40 types.
At the event, the minister also launched the Service Ihsan MADANI@Petronas AutoExpert (SIM@PAX) programme, which offers vehicle service discounts of 10 to 30 per cent to help the public reduce vehicle maintenance costs, especially those travelling back to their hometowns for Aidilfitri.
The programme runs from March 10 to March 31 and involves 124 Petronas AutoExpert workshop premises nationwide, with bookings available through the Setel app.
