LABUAN: Three premises were compounded for failing to display prices and using a measuring instrument that had expired its verification period, said Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) Labuan Director Junaidah Arbain.
Two of the premises were issued compounds for failing to comply with price-marking regulations, including a seafood outlet in Labuan. Junaidah said the compounds were issued on Monday following information and complaints received from consumers, adding that such complaints were not merely feedback channels but also served as triggers for enforcement action.
She said a team of KPDN Labuan enforcement officers conducted inspections at the premises at about 7pm following the complaints and found that the seafood operator had failed to display cash-sale prices for the dishes offered to customers in its menu.
“This could result in consumers not obtaining clear price information before making their choices and purchases,” she said.
On the same day, KPDN also took action against a supermarket in a rural area of Labuan after an inspection found that the premises was using a linear measuring instrument that had expired its verification period for trading purposes.
Junaidah said enforcement officers found the trader using a 100-centimetre (100cm) Arrow-brand wooden ruler as a measuring instrument for trade. Checks found that the measuring instrument’s verification had expired on Oct 18, 2025, but it was still being used for trading transactions at the premises.
She said using weighing and measuring instruments that had expired their verification period for trade purposes was an offence under the Weights and Measures Act 1972 [Act 71], and the trader was subsequently compounded by KPDN.
Junaidah said ensuring that weighing and measuring instruments were verified and remained within their valid verification period was important to ensure that measurements used in transactions were accurate.
“This compliance ensures that buying and selling transactions are conducted fairly and protects consumers from losses resulting from the use of invalid measuring instruments or those that are no longer within their verification period,” she said.
If convicted under Act 71, offenders can be fined up to RM40,000 or imprisoned for a term not exceeding three years, or both.
Meanwhile, the operators who failed to display prices were compounded under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering (Price Marking for Goods and Charges for Services) Regulations 2020, enforced under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 [Act 723].
Junaidah said individuals convicted of an offence under the Act could be fined up to RM50,000, while corporations could be fined up to RM100,000.
She reminded traders that they were responsible for ensuring the prices of goods or charges for services were clearly displayed and easily referred to by consumers.
Junaidah urged traders in Labuan not to take their obligations regarding price marking lightly and to ensure that every good or service offered complied with the prescribed regulations.
At the same time, she expressed appreciation to members of the public who came forward with information and complaints regarding non-compliance, saying such cooperation helped KPDN strengthen monitoring and enforcement efforts while ensuring the interests and rights of consumers in Labuan continued to be protected.
