{
  "id": 2924735,
  "title": "Perangi kartel boleh ringankan beban poket rakyat",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/perangi-kartel-boleh-ringankan-beban-poket-rakyat-2924735",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-24T01:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/tempatan/2026/08/24/perangi-kartel-boleh-ringankan-beban-poket-rakyat"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Analysts argue that stronger competition laws can help lower prices and provide consumers with more choices. Barjoyai Bardai from Universiti Sains and Teknologi Malaysia explains that cartels typically restrict competition, reducing consumer options and allowing certain players to dominate prices. He believes stricter enforcement through amendments to the 2010 Competition Act has the potential to create a more open and competitive market. \"When this act is amended, we expect lower prices in the market, more choices, higher quality, and increased productivity and innovation,\" he tells FMT. On July 27, the Dewan Negara passed the 2026 Competition (Amendment) Bill, which among other things, strengthens the role of the Malaysian Competition Commission (MyCC) in handling market competition issues and dominant player control. MyCC Executive Director Iskandar Ismail says the Act's responsibility is to protect competitive processes in business, including ensuring dominant companies do not abuse their position. Bardai notes that the benefits to the public should not be measured solely by price reduction as healthy competition can also increase the value users receive for each ringgit spent. \"In the long run, healthy competition increases the 'consumer surplus' because consumers get more value from each ringgit they spend,\" he says. He adds that an open market can also provide opportunities for more players, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to compete with large corporations. \"When competition increases, it opens up entry opportunities for more players in an industry. It generates innovation and productivity, leading to better prices and quality,\" he adds. Ahmed Razman Abdul Latiff from Putra Business School says SMEs' benefits are not solely dependent on competition but also require support in accessing financing, technology, talent, market access, and open shareholding to utilize the open space created. \"They need to be supported with access to financing, technology, talent, market access, and open shareholding so they can utilize the space created,\" he says. He emphasizes that the success of the legislative amendment should not be measured solely by the fines imposed on companies. More importantly, it should focus on reducing repeated cartels and anti-competition practices, along with making investigations and resolutions more prompt.",
  "summary": "Ahli ekonomi berkata persaingan lebih sihat boleh tingkat kualiti dan beri pengguna lebih banyak pilihan apabila kuasa pemain dominan dikawal.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Perangi kartel boleh ringankan beban poket rakyat",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/perangi-kartel-boleh-ringankan-beban-poket-rakyat",
        "published": "2026-08-24T01:30:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}