NABAWAN: Sabah traders, especially those in the interior areas, have been advised to report to the state Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism (KPNDKK) if there are suppliers and wholesalers who increase the prices of goods, using the Goods and Services Tax as an excuse.

Sabah’s Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Jainab Ahmad Ayid said such reports were important so that the authorities could take stern action against wholesalers and suppliers who randomly increased the prices of goods.

“I have directed KPNDKK officers to identify suppliers and wholesalers who are involved in such activities,” she told Bernama after surveying the prices of goods in Nabawan and Sook here Sunday.

Jainab said traders in areas she had visited complained that suppliers and wholesalers increased the prices of goods, forcing them to increase their prices.

“The traders have to cooperate with the KPDNKK and report any wholesaler and supplier who increased prices in the name of GST. Report to us, giving evidence, so that action can be taken against the supplier not the trader.

“The wholesalers and suppliers do not seem to understand (the actual implementation of the GST). Right now, we have to go (monitor) them and find out their reasons and excuses for increasing the prices of goods,” she said.

During the survey, the KPDNKK also placed a complaint box to gather feedback on GST issues, including problems faced by the people in the interior areas.

Meanwhile, Jainab also advised traders to display prices of goods and arrange them accordingly on shelves, so as not to confuse the consumers.

“They must also identify and separate goods with GST and goods without GST,” she said.

 

RANAU: The Home Ministry considers the People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela) as fortunate to have members among the mountain guides here.

The ministry’s deputy secretary-general (Security Policy), Datuk Seri Adenan Ab Rahman said following the earthquake that hit Ranau district on June 5, these Rela members immediately went into action to search for and rescue the climbers who were feared trapped on Mount Kinabalu.

“We had never experienced such an earthquake in our country before. So it’s good to have these mountain guides who also happen to be Rela members.

“They (mountain guides) themselves know what they need to do in such an emergency situation. Furthermore, they are well-versed with the Mount Kinabalu trails,” he told reporters at a Bakti Rela programme in Kampung Sokid, here on Sunday.

Adenan said Sabah had 65 mountain guides who were also Rela members.

He said that following the earthquake of 5.9-magnitude on the Richter scale, the ministry would look into the kind of training required for search-and-rescue (SAR) operations not only on the mountains in Sabah, but also in other states.

At today’s event, 105 Rela members who were involved in the recent SAR operations in Ranau received aid and recognition. Out of the number, 43 are mountain guides.

“Their contributions to the public in terms of energy, time, skills and expertise deserve recognition and a token of appreciation,” said Adenan.

He said the Bakti Rela programme could also lift the spirits of the corps members to continue contributing towards peace and wellbeing of the country and society.

 

KOTA KINABALU: City police issued 107 traffic summonses for various offences in an operation, ‘Op Samseng Jalanan and mabuk’, here early Sunday.

“Four motorcyclists and a motorist were also detained under Section 60 of the Road Transport Act 1987,” said City police chief ACP M.Chandra in a statement here today.

He said 40 vehicles and motorcycles were inspected in the operation which began at 11.30 pm (Saturday) and ended at 4 am today.

Two individuals were found positive for alcohol, he said.

Chandra said 42 individuals were screened including two women in the five-hour operation conducted by an officer and 16 personnel.

In TAWAU, 38 illegal immigrants were detained by the marine police when they attempted to sneak into the country yesterday.

Sabah Marine Police Region Four Commander ACP Mohamad Madun said immigrants were detained after PPM patrol members intercepted two boats at Sungai Kalabakan near here at about 12.30 pm.

He said the immigrants, consisting of 22 men and 16 women between the age of one and 63, all from Indonesia, were without valid travel documents.

The skippers of the two boats were also detained to facilitate investigation, he added.

Pictures show the devastation caused by the mudslides following the aftershocks.

KOTA KINABALU: One hundred aftershocks were recorded by the Meteorological Department up to early this morning following the earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale with the epicentre located in Ranau at 7.15am on June 5.

Sabah Meteorological Department director Abd Malik Tussin said three weak tremors occurred this morning at 4.01 am, 4.25 am and 6.09 am.

“The three tremors this morning measured 2.4, 2.4 and 2.5 respectively on the Richter scale,” he said in a statement, here on Sunday.

He said that the aftershocks occurred between 12 and 16 kilometres southwest of Ranau.

The earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale on June 5 had killed 18 people comprising 14 mountain climbers and four mountain guides, including foreigners.

However, the Labuan Earthquake Aid Mission involving a convoy of 10 government departments and agencies, and non-governmental organisations was successfully completed Sunday.

Its coordinator, Lieutenant Junior (Maritime) Awil Kansari said tremors in Ranau and Kundasang last night and this morning had not hindered the mission.

“We are thankful that the programmes with villagers at Kg Mesilau, Kundasang had run smoothly despite the tremors,” he told Bernama at the ‘terawih’ with villagers on Saturday night.

He said the convoy which left the island on June 26, was carrying essential items worth more than RM40,000 for earthquake victims in Kundasang.

Awil said 25 four-wheel-drive vehicles from the Miri Triton Club also joined the convoy, bringing along basic necessities worth about RM20,000 for the victims.

“With the club’s participation, the contribution totaled more than RM60,000,” he said.

He also expressed the convoy’s appreciation to the government, community leaders, Kundasang and Ranau assemblymen Datuk Masidi Manjun and Datuk Dr Joachim Gunsalam, and Labuan MP Datuk Rozman Isli for their support.

 

TAWAU: A holistic study is required to resolve the lack of good living quarters for the police force particularly in the interior, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi(pic).

“Resolving the problem is of utmost importance to ensure that all police officers and personnel, whether they are serving in the city or in the interior, have access to quality facilities.

“We need a holistic approach to achieve this,” he told reporters after a working visit to Pulau Sebatik near here on Sunday.

He noted that during the Cabinet meeting last week, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had announced that additional funds would be allocated for the rehabilitation of police and army quarters.

“Although the government allocated RM100 million this year to rehabilitate police and army quarters, it is still seriously inadequate.

“So we should be grateful to the government especially the prime minister for approving the additional funds,” he said.

On his visit to Pulau Sebatik, Ahmad Zahid said it was to survey the condition of the police facilities including quarters on the island.

“We surveyed the facilities and found that the specifications of some of them had not been followed.

“It could be the transportation cost factor but this should not have happened.

“The specifications must be rectified and we will not compromise as we want our officers and personnel to have good facilities,” he added.