Quit the race-blame game, focus on educating consumers, Chua tells Ismail Sabri

The issue that some businesses refused to reduce the price of goods should not be politicised as it could possibly create business polarization.

MCA vice-president Datuk Chua Tee Yong said the focus should instead be on consumerism.

“Do not turn this issue into a racial one, or attempt to politicise it. Instead, we should strive to teach the public to be smart consumers to ensure that they can get the base value for their money.

“If we were to constantly politicise business, not only will Malaysia be faced with racial disunity and political polarization, but also business polarization, and this is not healthy for the country,” he said in a statement today.

On Jan 31, the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism announced that prices now stood at RM1.70 per litre for RON95, RM2 for RON97 and RM1.70 for diesel effective Feb 1.

“The Malaysian public had widely expected the price of goods to fall in line with the reduction in fuel prices, thus it is understandable that there are many disappointments when goods prices remained high,” Chua added.

On Monday, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob on Facebook, called for a boycott of Chinese traders who refuse to reduce the price of goods despite the drop in oil price.

His statement has gone viral on social websites, inviting both support and ire from netizens.

Ismail Sabri had clarified that his statement was not directed at the Chinese community but at wholesalers and traders who still did not want to lower the price of goods although oil price had dropped.