PETALING JAYA, Dec 31 — Consumers associations have urged the government to provide assistance to lower income groups in the wake of the price increases of school items.

Malaysian Islamic Consumer Association president Datuk Nazim Johan said the price increases, especially the proposed 20 to 30 per cent hike for stationery, were a common trend during festivities.

“It is the season where families shop for school items and dishonest and unethical suppliers see this as an opportunity to gain higher profit. The increase in electricity tariffs was The Malay Mail's front page story. just an excuse for them to hike prices,” he said.

Nazim was commenting on The Malay Mail’s front page report “Back-to-school blues” yesterday, which highlighted the cost of preparing children for school in the new school year term beginning on Thursday.

He said consumers should lodge reports against unscrupulous retailers and the authorities should punish those who chose to increase prices.

“The government can also set up a cooperative, such as the Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia, where those from the lower income groups were able to buy school items cheaper and at controlled prices,” he said.

Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) president Datuk Paul Selvaraj said he had received numerous complaints on price increases.

He said suppliers would continue to take advantage of the situation if the government did not step in.

“The government has to make sure any increase in prices of school items reflected an increased cost,” he said

Selvaraj said financial security measures should be implemented for the lower income groups to ensure the effect of the price increases was minimal and the poor would be financially supported.

“Although the RM100 schooling aid under Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia was helpful, it was still a long way off from what the parents had to pay,” he said.

“The government must ensure that the help is adequate, especially when salaries have remained the same.”

Perak Consumer Association president Abdul Rahman Syed Ali said the proposed price increases were inevitable with the reduction of subsidies by the government.

“Now they have to figure out a way to ensure children’s education were not be affected. If the prices of school items increased, some parents from the lower income groups may be forced pull their children out of school,” he said.