THE Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs is looking for solutions to tackle the problem of abuse of subsidised cooking oil that has led to the cooking oil crisis.

The ministry’s deputy minister Rosol Wahid said total solutions are needed to remedy the subsidised cooking oil supply issue.

“Two days ago, the ministry busted a syndicate involved in the misappropriation of subsidised cooking oil in a raid mounted on a factory in Kota Masai, Pasir Gudang in Johor and action has been taken against the culprits,” he told reporters after officiating the Student Consumer Movement 2022 ceremony at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM Perlis) in Arau, today.

Also present at the ceremony were the ministry’s deputy secretary-general (consumer empowerment), Roszanina Wahab, and UiTM Perlis rector Associate Professor Technologist Dr. Shukor Sanim Mohd Fauzi.

Bernama reported that the ministry seized 13.6 tonnes of cooking oil that was mixed with used cooking oil in Johor and detained a 30-year-old man to assist in the investigation.

Investigations found that the factory had been selling cooking oil to biodiesel processing companies.

Rosol said used cooking oil that was processed for the biodiesel industry is being sold at a higher price than subsidised cooking oil.

“We have information that used cooking oil can reach up to RM4.20 per kg compared to RM2.50 per kg for subsidised cooking oil,” he said, adding that the ministry is finding ways to resolve the problem. 

He said subsidised cooking oil was for personal use but it was mixed with used cooking oil by irresponsible parties for profits.

He said the government supplies 60 million kg’s of subsidised cooking oil every month but shortages still occur due to misappropriation and misuse.

Rosol said the ministry has revoked the licence of nine subsidised cooking oil manufacturers and suspended the operations of 15 companies pending investigations.

He urged the public to play their part in helping the ministry to tackle the problem by providing its enforcement team with information so it could take further action. – Bernama, June 30, 2022.