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THE Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living has acknowledged that fish prices have risen by up to 30 per cent in parts of the country, although the increase is not widespread and is limited to specific locations.
Deputy Minister Datuk Dr Fuziah Salleh said the price increase was largely driven by higher demand during the monsoon season, coupled with reduced fish landings as adverse weather conditions affect fishing activities.
“A slight increase is normal because the monsoon season causes demand to rise while supply decreases. However, if there are elements of manipulation or cartel activity, that is a different matter that must be tackled,” she said.
She was speaking to reporters after attending a community engagement session under the Rahmah Sales Programme Monsoon initiative in Pengkalan Kubor on Wednesday.
Dr Fuziah said parties with information or evidence of supply manipulation by wholesalers or traders were urged to lodge reports with the authorities, including the Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority, to enable investigations to be carried out.
To date, she said, the ministry has not received any official complaints on the matter, adding that allegations of manipulation have thus far only appeared in media reports.
Earlier reports had suggested that rising fish prices were not solely due to the monsoon season and reduced catches, but may also involve market manipulation by certain wholesalers.
Dr Fuziah also provided an update on the implementation of the Rahmah MADANI Sales Programme nationwide. As of November, more than 23,000 programmes had been carried out across the country, benefiting over 24 million consumers.
Selangor recorded the highest number of programmes with nearly 3,400 events, followed by Sarawak and Sabah.
She said mobile Rahmah sales accounted for the largest share, with 14,437 programmes implemented, while the remainder were conducted within and outside premises across all state legislative assembly constituencies.
As part of ongoing improvements, the ministry has introduced the Rahmah Sales Programme Monsoon in conjunction with the Northeast Monsoon season.
Kelantan is the first state to implement the initiative, with an allocation of RM300,000. The programme will continue until March next year.
“This programme will be implemented six times. At the same time, the mobile Rahmah Sales Back to School programme is also being carried out and will continue at several locations until 10 January,” she said. - December 17, 2025