223,000 face masks confiscated, trader nabbed for overcharging

CORONAVIRUS | A trader has been found violating the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 by selling three-ply face masks above the ceiling price.

In a statement today, the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs' Enforcement Division director Iskandar Halim Sulaiman said an enforcement team yesterday raided the premises at Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya and confiscated 223,000 pieces of masks worth RM446,000.

The face mask is listed as a controlled item and the ceiling price for the three-ply mask is set at RM2 per piece, but the trader was caught selling it at RM3.50 per piece, he said. 

The enforcement team was tipped-off by the public as the suspect used social media to sell the masks which would be delivered to customers by post or cash on delivery at Kota Damansara.

"The suspect has committed an offence under Section 11 of the Act," he said.

Taking to Twitter, the ministry lamented: "In such a situation where there is pressing need for masks, there are irresponsible quarters taking advantage (by selling expensive masks)."

The country is running short of face masks and people are unable to find the item amid the sharp increase of Covid-19 cases.

Malaysia has received donations of masks from other countries and the corporate sector for its healthcare frontliners.

The government had recently raised the ceiling price of face masks to encourage local manufacturing and import.

However, the government later decided to review the ceiling price as it disagreed with the increased ceiling price for three-ply face masks. - Mkini