LABUAN — The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) Labuan has compounded a cafe operator for using an unverified digital weighing scale for trade purposes during an integrated enforcement operation around Labuan town on Monday.
The offence was detected during inspections involving two KPDN enforcement teams, which covered supermarkets, grocery stores, restaurants, cafes and other business premises to ensure compliance with laws enforced by the ministry.
According to KPDN Labuan director Junaidah Arbain, the digital weighing scale was used to determine the weight of food portions sold in grams, as advertised on the cafe’s menu.
She said the scale was therefore classified as a trade instrument and was required to be verified under the Weights and Measures Act 1972 before being used in commercial transactions.
“The verification requirement ensures accurate measurements, protects consumers’ rights and promotes fair and transparent trade practices,” she said in a statement today.
The integrated operation also focused on compliance with price marking requirements, the use of weighing and measuring instruments for trade, and the Supply Control Act 1961 under Ops Tiris 4.0.
Under the Weights and Measures Act 1972, using an unverified weighing instrument for trade purposes is an offence punishable by a fine of up to RM10,000, imprisonment for up to one year, or both, upon conviction.
Junaidah said KPDN Labuan would continue intensifying enforcement and periodic inspections to ensure traders comply with the relevant laws.
She added that advocacy programmes would also continue to raise awareness among traders on their legal responsibilities, particularly regarding the proper use of weighing and measuring instruments in commercial transactions.
KPDN also urged traders to ensure all weighing instruments used for trade are verified in accordance with legal requirements before being put into service and encouraged members of the public to report any suspected trade-related offences through its official complaint channels.
