THE Pakatan Harapan presidential council has slammed Putrajaya’s decision to raise the price of three-ply face masks to RM2 each, after production could not keep up with demand amid the Covid-19 outbreak.  

“The 150% hike is sudden and excessive. It also does not ease the problem, which is the lack of supplies,” the council said in a statement today.

PH urged the government to continue discussions with the private sector to increase the supply.

“Based on previous discussions, we are confident that four matters need to be expedited to help the industry increase their production output.”

The four matters the government needs to address are to assist the industry overcome the problem of insufficient workers; approve a third work shift; give tax exemptions under the 1967 Customs Act; and allow the industry to obtain more raw materials for production.

The council also recommended that government-to-government negotiations be held with China to import masks as the Covid-19 situation there improves.

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Alexander Nantha Linggi has said that the increase of 80 sen in the ceiling price of three-ply face masks to RM2 apiece was aimed at increasing supply in Malaysia.

The prices of one-ply ear-loop face masks, two-ply ear-loop face masks, and N95 face masks, remain unchanged.

Putrajaya has banned the export of face masks.

The council said the previous Pakatan Harapan government had pursued a bulk purchase scheme with domestic face mask producers.

“At the time, the industry could produce seven million face masks and steps were taken to ensure that the stocks were sufficient nationwide.”

“In fact, during all the discussions with the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs at the time, industry representatives never once raised the issue of prices.”

The council said the government then was prepared to buy up the stock at 60 sen apiece.

“Pakatan Harapan urges the government to re-study its decision to raise prices and not to burden the people.” – March 20, 2020.