Ministry to announce list of 285 brands of subsidised cooking oil

PUTRAJAYA: The Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry (KPDNKK) will come out with a list of 285 brands of subsidised cooking oil soon in a bid to prevent public confusion between subsidised and recycled cooking oil.
Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin said the initiative was also taken to prevent irresponsible quarters from taking advantage in selling recycled cooking oil as subsidised cooking oil in packets.
"We will announce the brands of subsidised cooking oil so that the people will know which is subsidised cooking oil. If not listed, then it is not subsidised cooking oil," he told a press conference after attending the ministry's Integrity Day 2016 here today.
Hamzah said the ministry would also convene a meeting with recycled cooking oil entrepreneurs soon to discuss matters including packaging and targetted consumers of recycled cooking oil.
He said the packaging of recycled cooking oil should differ from subsidised cooking oil so as not to confuse the consumers.
"Recycled cooking oil is not necessarily sold for human
consumption, but also for other purposes, such as in the production of animal feed, soap and biodiesel," he said.
Meanwhile, Kuala Lumpur Bumiputera Petty Traders and Hawkers Association vice-president Muhamad Baba Kutty said over 69,000 of petty traders and hawkers in the capital would be affected if the ministry decided to restrict purchase of subsidised cooking oil in 1kg packets by food stall operators and hawkers.
He said the mechanism was not the best solution to tackle the current supply shortage following the rationalisation of cooking oil price.
"Most of the traders and hawkers purchasing the subsidised cooking oil are middle-income earners who are trying to run a small food stall to earn extra income.
"Their sales are not that high and some of them have to pay rent or certain fees for their stall. If the restriction is enforced, it will definitely reduce their profit margin," he told Bernama.
It was reported that the ministry was mulling over a mechanism to restrict petty traders and hawkers from buying subsidised cooking oil in 1kg packets in a bid to put balance on the stocks of the commodity in the market.
Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association chief activist Datuk Nadzim Johan said the mechanism would only bring about bigger negative impact, especially in the price of food, which would eventually burden the consumers.
"We want a more proactive and comprehensive solution to the cooking oil crisis, which will not bring about negative impact to the consumers and traders," he said.
In SEREMBAN, the Negeri Sembilan branch of KPDNKK seized 26,000kg of cooking oil worth RM59,000 in a raid on a premises at the Tuanku Jaafar industrial area at noon today.
Its deputy director Saifulbahri Abdul Kadir said the premises was found to have been operating without licence.
He said so far, 25 complaints on shortage of cooking oil supply were received in the state, 20 of which had been solved. — Bernama