KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 17 – The government needs to monitor and control prices of goods and raw materials to avoid manipulation by irresponsible parties following yesterday’s announcement on the civil servants’ salary adjustment.
Former Congress of the Union of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (CUEPACS) president Datuk Azih Muda said the announcement on the salary adjustment had raised concern in society about a potential increase in the prices of goods unless the government takes measures to prevent it.
“We hope that when the salary increase takes effect, there will not be another domino effect to an extent the price of goods and raw materials go up. This is worrying because if it happens, the efforts by the government will be in vain.
“We will be ‘back to square one’. If you look at other developed countries, the price of goods has not gone up for several years, only the value of the currency has changed. But here (Malaysia) when the price of something goes up, the price of everything else will also increase,” he said when appearing as a guest on Bernama TV “Ruang Bicara” programme on Friday night.
Therefore, Azih expressed the need for the relevant ministries and agencies to monitor the situation so that it is not taken advantage of by irresponsible parties.
