SHAH ALAM, March 24 — As Malaysians increasingly spend prudently in response to rising living costs, the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) in Selangor has stepped up enforcement to protect consumers from unfair trading practices.
Selangor KPDN director Muhamad Hanif Asa’ari said the ministry’s “Ops Pantau 2026” inspections ran from February 19 and covered 1,284 premises across the state.
“Types of offences included failure to display price tags, using unverified weighing instruments and misleading price marking.
“Other offences involved the selling of controlled goods without a permit, and trading with invalid trademarks,” Muhamad Hanif was quoted by national newswire Bernama as saying.
Of the 67 cases recorded during the eight-day operation, 35 were under the Price Control and Anti‑Profiteering Act 2011 and 26 under the Weights and Measures Act 1972, with a handful under other consumer protection laws.
Muhamad Hanif said the state KPDN also deployed the Consumer STAR Van at key locations, allowing shoppers to lodge complaints directly with the ministry.
“The van acts as a mobile counter, helping consumers get information quickly and enabling faster action,” he was quoted as saying.
Malaysia’s inflation has risen in recent months, driven in part by higher food and services costs, squeezing household purchasing power and prompting shoppers to be more careful about where and how they spend.
The backdrop of cost‑of‑living pressures has heightened scrutiny of market behaviour, especially during the earlier Ramadan and Hari Raya bazaars where price hikes and compliance issues were often reported.