PPIM: Boycott mineral water sold at higher price than fuel

A consumer association says mineral water in 500ml bottles should not be priced above RM1.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association (PPIM), along with 20 other non-governmental organisations have called for the boycott of all brands of 500ml bottled mineral water priced above RM1.

PPIM chief activist Nadzim Johan said they had proposed that the boycott be effective over a time span of three months, beginning Thursday.

“We chose to boycott mineral water because it is being sold at an unreasonable price, especially at food outlets. In some places, it is being priced at RM3.50 per bottle compared to the normal price of RM1.

“The price of that bottled water is higher than the new price of a litre of petrol.

“The cost for that 500ml of bottled mineral water is just about 50 sen and after taking into account the 70 per cent profit, it should be sold at a price of not more than RM1,” he told a press conference organised by the Consumer Research Boycott Centre Committee yesterday.

Nadzim said the controversy concerning the unchanged prices of goods despite drop in oil price was not merely caused by traders’ reluctance to reduce the prices, but also by consumers’ attitude and ignorance about the prices of goods in the market.

“Consumers are too ignorant to notice that the mineral water is being sold at an unreasonable price. They only noticed the hike in the price of petrol.

“This attitude must change and consumers must pay attention and make comparison of the prices of goods in the market,” he said.

- BERNAMA