Kuantan: The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) in Pahang has initiated the Festive Season Maximum Price Scheme (SHMMP) to coincide with the 2026 Chinese New Year celebrations. This scheme will be effective for nine days, beginning today and concluding on February 21.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Sim Chon Siang, the Pahang Consumer Affairs and Human Resources Committee chairman, explained that with the Lunar New Year on February 17, the scheme will be enforced four days before the festival, on the day itself, and for four days after. This measure aims to stabilize the prices of essential goods during this period.
Fifteen types of goods are regulated under the scheme in the Peninsula, including items such as white pomfret, white shrimp, garlic (from China), large yellow onions, red chillies, and imported round cabbage from Indonesia and China. Carrots, white radish, potatoes from China, aged ginger, live pigs, pork belly, and pork are also included.
Sim made these comments following inspections conducted with Pahang KPDN at two shopping centres to ensure traders' compliance with price regulations and the availability of goods during the festive period. He emphasized that the scheme's implementation considers the current conditions to balance the interests of both consumers and traders.
The government aims to offer consumers reasonable prices ahead of the festival without imposing an overly lengthy control period on traders. The selection of items and their maximum price levels were determined based on factors such as supply availability, current costs, weather conditions, and inputs from government bodies and industry stakeholders.
Sim also mentioned that during the implementation period, controlled items will be marked with pink price tags to help consumers easily identify them. Enforcement officers will be stationed at key locations like public markets and shopping centres to ensure compliance. Traders violating the regulations face penalties under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011, which includes fines and other prescribed actions.