THE government, through the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry, will conduct a study to set a ceiling price for 5kg bottled cooking oil.

Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Rosol Wahid said his team will also discuss the recommended ceiling price with the Finance Ministry and Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry.

“Discussions will be held on how to overcome this problem (increase in cooking oil prices),” he told reporters after checking cooking oil supplies and compliance with standard operating procedures (SOP) in Sungai Besar today.

“We will make a decision (adjustment of the ceiling price of cooking oil) in the meetings.”

He said cooking oil had seen a price hike due to an increase in the price of crude palm oil.

“I assure you that the government is working hard to ensure that people are not affected by the Covid-19 situation,” he said.

Rosol also denied an opposition representative’s claim that the 1kg oil subsidised by the government is recycled oil.

He said 590,876 business premises, including petrol stations, restaurants, supermarkets and shopping malls, have been inspected to date.

“A total of 346 compound notices have issued to offenders who failed to comply with the prescribed SOP. The ministry issued 160 compound notices during the total lockdown period from June 1 to 11, involving a total value of RM1.091 million,” he said.

“Based on statistics, the compliance rate in the distribution sector is satisfactory, with 98.52% of premises complying with the SOP, while 0.1% of premises were issued with compound notices. The rest were let off with a warning.”

Rosol also said about 50% of the ministry’s enforcement personnel have been vaccinated against Covid-19. – June 12, 2021.