KUALA LUMPUR: The domestic trade and cost of living ministry is studying Section 15(1) of the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 (Act 723) to determine how it can develop a framework to combat ticket scalping, deputy minister Fuziah Salleh said today.
She said the review was also looking at laws in other countries to identify the best approach suited to Malaysia’s needs.
“The study is examining laws in countries such as Australia, Ireland, Canada, Japan, Taiwan and Singapore,” she told the Dewan Rakyat.
According to Section 15(1) of Act 723, the minister shall “prescribe the mechanism to determine that profit is unreasonably high, and different types of mechanisms may be prescribed to cater for different conditions and circumstances as the minister deems fit”.
Fuziah said the proposed legislation, targeted for implementation by next year, aims to define scalping and regulate bulk online ticket purchases.
“When tickets are bought in bulk, whether through bots or individuals, it can lead to secondary sales and scalping.
“We will also study the possibility of verifying buyers’ and ticket holders’ identities, as well as the suitability of existing price control and anti-profiteering provisions,” she said.
Fuziah was replying to Isam Isa (BN-Tampin), who asked about efforts to formulate legislation to tackle ticket scalping.
She said her ministry was also examining enforcement challenges to ensure the legislation accounts for different types of ticket transactions, particularly for one-off events.
Fuziah said her ministry would step up consumer advocacy and engage event organisers to promote more transparent ticket sales, including clearer purchase terms and conditions.