Kuala Lampur, Dec. 29 -- Online shopping has become part of everyday life in Malaysia. A mobile phone accessory ordered for just a few ringgit; a household item shipped from overseas at a bargain price. Often, these parcels arrive without any tax being charged. Most consumers see this as a win.

This short-term gain comes at the cost of long-term harm to domestic businesses, as Malaysia's market is flooded with cheap, below-cost everyday goods, displacing local manufacturers and crowding out higher-quality products.

Before we realise it, our local manufacturers and businesses, which are the key providers of employment for Malaysian workers, risk being marginalised or forced out of the market as a result of "race to the bottom" pricing st...