Thursday 28 Mar 2024
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KUALA LUMPUR (July 17): Economics Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali today chaired the maiden inter-ministerial committee meeting to review monopolies in the country's services and supply chain across the various economic sectors.

According to the ministry's spokesperson, among the attendees were representatives from the Health Ministry, Transport Ministry, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry, and Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (Mampu).

On June 27, Agro-based Industry Minister Salahuddin Ayub said the government has established a special ministerial-level committee, comprising six cabinet ministers, which will study the monopoly of certain companies across the country's various economic sectors.

For his ministry, Salahuddin had said the committee will discuss the issue of breaking Padiberas Nasional Bhd (Bernas)'s monopoly in rice imports. Bernas is a company linked to tycoon Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Albukhary.

As for the Health Ministry, it has been widely reported that Pharmaniaga Bhd was seen to have a monopolistic position in the supply of biopharmaceutical products in the public healthcare system.

Within the purview of the Transport Ministry, the government had said it is reviewing Grab's monopoly status in the ride-hailing market, after its merger with rival Uber in March.

Apart from Malaysia, the merger between Grab and Uber is also being investigated in Singapore, where the combined entity was said to have infringed Section 54 of the island city-state's Competition Act.

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