Minister Armizan Mohd Ali said a notice to call the association was issued under Section 21 of the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011.

“We want to know which item prices are being increased. It can’t be everything,” he told reporters after attending the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between his ministry, Mydin and Redtick today.

He was commenting on an announcement by the association that around 300 mamak restaurant owners in the state are expected to implement a minimum 5% increase in food prices starting next year due to rising operational costs.

Hussein Ibrahim, the association’s secretary, attributed the price hike to higher raw material costs and the upcoming RM1,700 minimum wage, set to take effect next February.

However, Armizan said that using the new minimum wage as a justification for raising the prices of goods and food is unacceptable.

“The price increase has to be because of a rise in their own costs,” he said.

“It can’t be because others have extra income, so you suddenly increase the prices as you wish.”