The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living will implement the Festive Season Maximum Price Control Scheme in conjunction with the Kaamatan and Gawai festivals, operating over a seven-day period that includes the lead-up, the day of celebration, and the days immediately following each festival. This initiative is designed to stabilise prices during peak consumer spending while maintaining a fair environment for traders.

Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali stated that the chosen timeframe reflects a balanced approach, allowing consumers to access essential goods at reasonable prices while avoiding extended enforcement that might burden the business community. 

The scheme for the Kaamatan Festival will take place from 27 May to 2 June, while the Gawai Festival scheme will run from 29 May to 4 June.

For the Kaamatan celebration, ten essential goods are subject to price control, an increase from the eight items included the previous year. These include live pigs, which are regulated at the farm level, as well as pork meat, fat, and belly cuts. 

Other controlled items are buffalo meat imported from India, excluding the tenderloin, chicken wings, curly dried chillies, small red onions from India, and garlic imported from China. Imported large yellow and red onions have also been added to this year’s list.

The list for the Gawai Festival includes eleven items, reflecting additions based on traditional dietary needs. It features live pigs, pork meat, fat, and belly, live old chickens, chicken wings, and round cabbage imported from Indonesia and China, with the exception of Beijing cabbage. The list also includes garlic from China and curly dried chillies. New additions for Gawai are whole coconuts, grated coconut, and coconut milk, all of which are frequently used in festive cooking.

Armizan also reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to protecting consumers and ensuring price stability during culturally significant periods, while also supporting a fair trading environment.

(Source: Malay Mail)

• TAGS:
• Festive Season Maximum Price Control Scheme
• Food Prices
• Gawai
• Kaamatan
• Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living
• Price Control
• Traders