PUTRAJAYA, March 14 — The Deputy Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) Minister Fuziah Salleh today said that nine complaints have been lodged against Ramadan bazaar sellers so far on the third day of Ramadan.

Of the nine, Fuziah said five of them were related to price displays and the remaining four were on pricey items.

"However, there are no complaints on food quality yet,” she told reporters after a walkabout session at the bazaar in Presint 14 here.

Fuziah also reminded consumers that they always have the power to choose rather than pay for expensive items.

"We, the government, offer a Menu Rahmah and so on, besides that, consumers also have a role to play, they have the power to choose,” she said.

Fuziah added that about 2,200 KPDN enforcers were deployed to monitor Ramadan bazaars’ activities.

On March 4, Fuziah told Malay Mail that the government will be mandating Ramadan bazaars to offer Menu Rahmah during the fasting month to provide financial relief to individuals and families alike.

She said her ministry will be pursuing "aggressive” moves to promote the said initiative, first implemented by former domestic trade and cost of living minister Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub, who died in July last year.

Menu Rahmah is an initiative offering lunch or dinner sets at a recommended price of RM5. Each meal consists of rice, a choice of protein (such as chicken or fish), a serving of vegetables and a bottle of mineral water. Despite initial criticism, the programme was later met with encouraging responses from consumers, even those from the middle-income category.