MELAKA: The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry will implement the Festive Season Maximum Price Scheme (SHMMP) for the Lunar New Year from Feb 13 to 21.
Its minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said the scheme aims to stabilise prices of selected essential goods and protect consumers from unreasonable increases during the festive period.
"It covers a nine-day period beginning four days before the festive season," he said at a press conference after announcing the Chinese New Year 2026 SHMMP and the Rahmah Madani Sales Programme at Taman Pandan Mawar here on Tuesday (Feb 10).
Among the items placed under the price control, Armizan said, are white pomfret, white prawns, Chinese garlic, imported round cabbage, carrots, white radish and Chinese potatoes.
Also included are imported old ginger, chicken wings, as well as pork and related products, in addition to controls on live pigs at the farm level.
Armizan said the list of controlled goods, maximum price ceilings and enforcement period were determined after considering supply and demand, current costs, weather conditions, wage rates and views from strategic partners, including the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry.
"This approach enables consumers to enjoy reasonable prices while ensuring traders are not burdened by an excessively long control period,” he said.
He added that enforcement will also be carried out under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011, with the ministry's officers deployed to strategic locations such as public markets, farmers’ markets and shopping centres.
Apart from the SHMMP, Armizan said the ministry is also rolling out several initiatives linked to efforts to address the rising cost of living during the festive season.
He noted that these include the Chinese New Year 2026 Rahmah Madani Sales Programme, which runs from Feb 3 to 17 at 920 locations nationwide, offering daily necessities at prices lower than the market rate.
