KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 13): The Malaysian government may consider lowering the ceiling price for three-ply face masks to 70 sen per piece from RM1.50 now to make the item more affordable for consumers to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi told reporters here today after a Parliament session the decision to further lower the ceiling price for three-ply face masks depends on various situations, including the availability of the product in the market.

For now, Alexander said Malaysia’s new ceiling price for three-ply face masks at RM1 per piece will be enforced beginning Saturday (Aug 15) in line with the government’s decision on the mandatory use of the item to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Given that the current ceiling price of RM1.50 has been around for quite a while and the fact that the supply of the product in the market is sufficient, we decided to reduce the ceiling price down to RM1 instead of RM1.20 as planned previously,” he said.

Malaysia has made the use of face masks mandatory in crowded public areas starting Aug 1, 2020 to curb the spread of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Earlier news reports quoted health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah as saying if an individual is at a crowded place where social distancing cannot be practised, the use of face masks is mandatory.

Read also:
New ceiling price of RM1 for three-ply face mask to start on Aug 15

For more Parliament stories, click here.