KUCHING, May 26: Members of the public dissatisfied with products bought from supermarkets should lodge their complaints with the right authorities or channels rather than make generalised complaints all over social media.
Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) Chong Chieng Jen said it would be unfair to resort to shaming businesses and supermarkets by complaining and expressing grouses in public or on social media, but not through the right channels.
With vague details and reports, the authorities, particularly his ministry, would find it difficult to pinpoint the issue and take any actions.
“It’s not fair to bring up complaints in public. You have to report it to the relevant authorities with details and specifics so we (KPDNHEP) can go there and have a look.
“I think it is only fair that if you find anything not consumable, we have all the channels to (lodge) complaints,” he told reporters after officiating at the Free Petrol Programme at Petronas Sungai Maong in conjunction with the coming Gawai-Raya celebrations here this afternoon.
He was responding to questions from reporters about consumers discovering that some eggs they bought from supermarkets have gotten bad, and some chickens were actually un-slaughtered corpses.
Chong said every now and then supermarkets and businesses do make mistakes or errors in stocking up their consumable items but generally they still have to abide by the rules set by KPDNHEP.
“It’s not only now this (supermarkets selling bad eggs or chicken corpses) has happened. From time to time these things happen.
“It’s the consumers right if they find something that is not consumable being sold, its their rights to compensate (sic),” he said.
The public may lodge consumer-related complaints via email at e-aduan@kpdnhep.gov.my, the ministry’s central hotline at 1800-886-800, through the ministry’s smartphone app Ez ADU which is available to download from Google Play Store for Android and App Store for iOS, the ministry’s WhatsApp at 019-2794317, or make a direct report at any nearby KPDNHEP offices.
Earlier Chong filled up RM5 worth of petrol for each motorcyclist stopping at Petronas Sungai Maong here as a way to help the public to ease their financial burden in view of the Gawai-Raya celebrations.
He also announced that on May 31, the same programme would also be done at Petronas Batu 7, and on June 4 at Petronas Batu 8 1/2, all between 2pm and 4pm.
This only applies to the first 500 motorcyclist coming between 2pm and 4pm.
“Everyone has their different ways of helping the B40 group, those who need a little extra for the celebration. This is one of the few ways. Of course we do have some allocation to help for the celebration, organise some Gawai dinner or breaking of fast events.
“We (Pakatan Harapan) do allocate for this celebration for ‘makan’. This is one of the few ways we are doing (sic),” said Chong, who added that this particular programme is funded by his MP allocation. — DayakDaily
