KOTA BARU: The e-Aduan complaint system of the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) has successfully cut red tape for complaints and sped up enforcement, enabling consumers to report pricing issues easily.
The ministry’s Kelantan director Azman Ismail said the system allows consumers to submit photos, receipts and location details, as well as receive information through the Aduan Suri QR Code and on social media platforms.
“For example, if controlled cooking oil, priced at RM2.50, is being sold for RM3, the consumer only needs to take a photo and send it via WhatsApp.
“The complaint enters our system directly and we will investigate it immediately,” he told Bernama recently.
Azman emphasised that this digital approach is crucial for a state like Kelantan, which has a population of 1.7 million but only 142 enforcement officers covering over 4,000 retail shops and more than 100,000 business premises.
He said the ministry sets initial action within four to five working hours, and for each complaint to be resolved within 48 hours, depending on the complainant’s cooperation and case type.
”The most frequent complaints concern price control violations, missing price tags, food pricing fraud, and shortages of essential items like chicken and cooking oil.”
He added that the ministry also received complaints about conditional buying, where wholesalers require retailers to purchase other items before they can obtain controlled goods.
“This practice is wrong, but retailers rarely file official reports for fear of losing their supply. In such cases, we conduct undercover operations to gather evidence.”
Azman highlighted that the e-Aduan system has significantly improved case resolution, including through the use of digital receipts like Sara.
“One consumer provided a receipt for an RM15 overcharge. Our officer acted immediately, the trader confessed and was fined RM500 on the spot,” he said.
However, the main challenge is handling complaints from remote areas that face basic telecommunications and internet coverage issues.
“In remote regions, using WhatsApp is difficult. Therefore, we have relaxed the requirements and now accept manual complaints to proceed with investigations.
“Complaints via TikTok are also accepted, but most cannot be investigated due to the lack of a contact number and unclear location details.”
He said KPDN Kelantan has received 838 complaints in the first 10 months of this year.
