KUALA TERENGGANU, 13 Jan 2009: The Domestic Trade and Industry Ministry’s active pushing of its price reduction campaign in Kuala Terengganu is not a ploy to fish for votes, said its minister Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad.
“The campaign was launched as far back as October last year, way before the Kuala Terengganu by-election was announced.
We (government) cannot force prices of goods to go down. It requires the cooperation of all quarters. We are very happy retailers are responding well to the campaign,” he told reporters after launching’s A&W’s rebranded outlet in Pantai Batu Burok here today.
Shahrir said this when asked to comment on the opposition claiming the campaign being carried out at various retail outlets here was a ploy by the Barisan Nasional to fish for votes in the by-election, polling of which will be on 17 Jan.
“It (campaign) will continue throughout the year and won’t stop here,” he added.
At a separate function, Shahrir urged big local companies especially government-linked ones to come out with new and more innovative products that can be sold at lower prices.
He said this would give consumers more choices particularly in the current uncertain economic climate.
“Instead of reducing the price of the products that are already known in the market, you can create a new brand and then position it in a lower price segment.
“For example, Petronas can create a new brand of lubricant at a lower price, so it doesn’t spoil the existing brand which is priced at a certain price segment.
“The same applies to tyre companies, the price a bit lower but at the same quality,” he said when launching Silver Bird’s new ‘High5 Sure Value 300’ bread at Mydin Mall here. — Bernama
