The Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-Operatives and Consumerism (KPDNKK) will take stern action against traders who modified their weighing equipment to cheat their customers.

KPDNKK state deputy director Abdul Hafidz Abdul Rahim revealed that a total of 201 cases involving various offences under the Weights and Measures Act 1972 were recorded by the ministry’s Enforcement Division since Jan 1 this year.

He said from the 199 cases (not including two cases yesterday), it had recorded seizures worth RM56,446.46 and compounds amounting to RM27,050. Hafidz said this at a press conference after leading spot-checks at two weighing premises for heavy vehicles in Batu Kitang yesterday.

During the inspection which was assisted by officers from the Metrology Corporation Malaysia (MCM), the weighing equipment in both premises he added were discovered to have been modified without the verification and certification of MCM.

“We will first issue a fine to the premises owners. If they refuse to pay up the fines, we will charge them in court under section 20A of the Weights and Measures Act 1972,” said Hafidz adding that the instruments used in both premises were also confiscated.

If found guilty, the proprietor of the premises shall on conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding RM4,000 or to imprisonment  not exceeding three years of both.

On another note, he said that the weights and measures authentication by MCM is necessary to prevent consumers being shortchanged and loss to the nation’s economy. MCM, said Hafidz, has been appointed by the government to carry out the verification and certification of weights and measures in accordance to the Malaysian standards since April 4, 2005.

To date, MCM had authenticated a total of 31,222 units of different types of weighing scales in the state. Among the weighing equipment which were checked by MCM were vehicle weighing scales, gold weighing scales, parking meters, water meters, pump dispensers, time recorders and the common spring scales used in markets.

Those who have any information or suspect a trader to be flouting the law may contact KPDNKK at 1-800-886-800, by email at [email protected] or lodge a report at any of the KPDNKK offices.

Source:
courtesy of THE BORNEO POST

by Jeremy Veno

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