Cover image via NSTP & Aliza Shah
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Cartel activity in Malaysia has pushed goods and services prices up by between 10 and 23%
Malaysian Competition Commission (MyCC) Chief Executive Officer Datuk Iskandar Ismail said the figure represents only the average, with some cases resulting in even steeper hikes, particularly in sectors with limited competition.
He said the increases were recorded across a range of industries, including bakeries, tuition centres, and digital and transport-related services.
"These findings clearly show that cartels harm consumers and the economy by distorting prices, especially in markets with limited competition," he told SAYS in an interview.
Datuk Iskandar Ismail says Malaysian cartels drive prices up by over 23%.
Image via Aliza ShahBetween 2012 and 2025, a total of 13 cartel cases involving price-fixing and bid-rigging were recorded across various sectors.
A total of 242 companies were fined over RM550 million for price-fixing, while 26 other companies involved in bid-rigging cartels were penalised more than RM97 million.
There are several types of cartels; price-fixing and bid-rigging are among them.
Price-fixing is an illegal agreement between competitors in the same market to set, maintain or control the price of goods or services, rather than allowing market forces to determine prices.
This can include agreeing on minimum prices, discounts, or price increases.
Bid-rigging is a form of collusion in which competitors coordinate their bids in a tender process to predetermine the winner.
This may involve using shell companies or proxies to inflate their chances of winning, thereby undermining fair competition.
These practices reduce competition, inflate costs for consumers, and can distort the economy, which is why they are illegal under Malaysian competition law.
