RESTAURANTS received the most complaints about price hikes last year, said Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

He said food outlets made up half of the 8,060 complaints about increased prices of goods that the ministry received last year.

Among the most shocking complaints was filed by PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, who reported a restaurant for charging the customers for use of its eating utensils, he said.

“I was shocked when my president sent me a message about this restaurant. It has since gone viral.

“I instructed my officers to check and when they went to the outlet, the owner said that they needed to charge (for the plates and utensils) because of the water disruption. They can’t wash their plates because there is no water.

“That is one of the issues that need a deeper look, whether does it make sense or not,” he said in a recent media interview in conjunction with the Pakatan Harapan government’s first anniversary.

Saifuddin said the ministry received 26,000 reports in all last year, of which 8,060, or 31%, were about the increased prices of goods 

He said online fraud made up 20% of the complaints, a trend he believed was on the rise.

Saifuddin said that he had suggested to the consumer tribunal to raise the penalty for cheating.

“Complaints about cheating will increase and of course the public wants the ministry to help via the tribunal.

“The maximum penalty for cheating now is a RM25,000 fine and I suggest that it be increased to RM50,000.”

He said this would make the online vendors “think twice” before cheating.

He said the proposal for a stiffer penalty was being studied. – April 26, 2019.