CLEAR dissemination of information to the public is vital to address issues of inflation and rising prices of goods, Communications and Multimedia Minister Annuar Musa said.

Annuar, who is chairman of the Jihad Against Inflation special task force, said lack of clear communication could result in misunderstanding and panic buying.

“It is like an ecosystem that involves many segments. The government needs to find ways to deal with rising prices of goods; producers need to increase efficiency to ensure costs remain low; while consumers need to play a role by refraining from panic buying.

“All segments have their respective roles and if the message does not reach them, all systems will go haywire,” he said on TV1’s Bicara Naratif last night.

Annuar said the special team, which involved various ministries and agencies, was established to act on a day-to-day basis and was different from the National Action Council on Cost of Living (Naccol), which was more focused on policy-making.

“For example, when chicken prices go up, we need to act quickly… Naccol will discuss how to make policies, food security methods and so on; that is for the medium and long term but this committee must act swiftly, especially to protect the people from being badly affected as a result of uncontrolled prices.

“This committee will monitor the whole chicken supply chain so that prices can be stabilised and, Alhamdulillah, the price of chicken is stable. In fact, some are sold below the ceiling price,” he said.

The team’s role is to gather information to formulate strategies as well as coordinate actions to resolve inflation-related issues.

Meanwhile, Annuar said the government would ensure the welfare of the people is always protected, especially of those with low incomes.

“Don’t simply make up stories about the government withdrawing subsidies, (or) that the government wants to make life difficult for the people. Are our transport costs higher than in other countries? Are the prices of our rice and sugar higher than in other nations?

“In managing the country, we must understand that we need to tackle what is happening and we will take action after action,” he said. – Bernama, July 14, 2022.