Gov't to educate middlemen to be more ethical, says Saifuddin

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the government would engage with middlemen involved in food supply as part of an effort to reduce the cost of living.

He said the government needs to educate the middlemen to be more ethical in doing business.

Saifuddin said this after a recent visit in Sekinchan where he found Indian mackerel cost about RM5 to RM6 per kilogramme but the price increased by over 100 percent, selling at RM13 per kilogramme at the wet market 1.5km away.

He suspected there are hidden hands behind the drastic increase in the price.

"It is not only the issue of enforcement (we are looking at), it is the issue of education the traders to be more ethical. It is okay that you go for profit, but it must be hard for people to accept," he told media after launching the 21st edition report of Malaysia Economic Monitor dubbed "Making Ends Meet".

He admitted that the middlemen issue has been there for a long time, and the government should act in a concerted effort to tackle the problem.

Saifuddin noted that the latest report by the World Bank Group stated the Bottom 40 (B40) income group spends almost 70 percent of their wages on basic needs, including basic goods, housing and transportation.

"The lower the income, the more is spent on the food and the higher the income that people have, the more they spent for leisure (lifestyle)," he said.

He said the National Cost of Living Action Council (Naccol) would take into consideration the contents of the report and formulate measures for next year.

"I agree with the World Bank’s finding that one of the root problems with the cost of living is the stagnating income growth of the people," he said.

Saifuddin said the minimum wages policy by the Harapan government can only resolve the tip of the iceberg.

"(But we have) many proposals and initiatives to raise the income of citizens that are being studied by the government," he said.

"One of the areas that the ministry is looking into is to support local entrepreneurs. My Ministry, in particular, helps local entrepreneurs improve their products and expand into local and foreign supermarkets nationwide," he said.  - Mkini