KUALA TERENGGANU: The issue of shortage of face masks nationwide is expected to be addressed somewhat when one million pieces of the item arrive tomorrow.
Deputy Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Rosol Wahid said a main supplier had confirmed the imminent arrival of the highly needed item.
He said suppliers had been authorised by the government to import face masks from abroad after discovering that there was a lack of the item following the spread of Covid-19.
Rosol who is the Hulu Terengganu Member of Parliament denied that the shortage of face masks was due to it being hoarded.
He said if there were hoarding activities, there would be an oversupply of the item when the government made face masks a price controlled item.
Instead, he said only five per cent of the face masks (manufactured in Malaysia) was allocated for the local market, with the rest exported to the countries which produce its raw material.
“The outcome of the meeting with manufacturers and main producers of face masks on Tuesday was that the government had directed them to increase allocation of face masks for the local market between 20 and 35 per cent.
“Local manufacturers had to export the locally produced face masks as they had to adhere to agreement with the raw material manufacturer,” Rosol said.
“Investigations by Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KDNHEP) enforcement personnel found that panic buying had caused face masks to run out of stock,” Rosol said.
He said that the government had set the price of face mask at RM2 a piece and if any dealer sells the item beyond the fixed price, they will be subjected to action under Section 11 of the Price Control and Anti-Profitering Act 2011," he said.
Rosol said traders found guilty of increasing the price of all types of face masks could face fines of up to RM100,000 or be jailed up to three years or both or slapped with a compound up to RM50,000.