PETALING JAYA: Comprehensive audits of cooking oil manufacturers and repackaging premises will be carried out nationwide in a move to tackle the exploitation of subsidies and irregularities in supply, says Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
He added that enforcement agencies, including the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry, the police and even the armed forces will be tasked to check on the cooking oil packaging factories to ensure there were no irregularities.
The Prime Minister said the audit will involve 22 manufacturers and 305 premises involved in repackaging cooking oil operating nationwide.
Strict action including revoking quotas and licences will be taken to address the smuggling of subsidised cooking oil distribution, he said, adding that distribution of subsidised cooking oil, amounting to 60,000 metric tonnes per month, exceeds household consumption in the country.
“This measure is to ensure that the cooking oil subsidy allocation of RM4bil channelled this year to reduce the burden of Keluarga Malaysia is implemented smoothly and able to reach the consumers.
“The government has instructed enforcement personnel from the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry, the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) and the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) to raid packaging factories along borders to ensure there are no irregularities,” he said in a statement yesterday.
The efforts, he said, were also to find out the actual status of the amount of packaged cooking oil by the production and packaging companies as well as complete information of the recipients of the subsidised cooking oil.
“Food security will be made a priority in the context of national security to overcome the problems that have led to an increase in the cost of living.
He added that the government will also introduce the Keluarga Malaysia Menu in cooperative restaurants and cafeterias as well as food outlets in institutions of higher learning as an alternative to get breakfast, lunch and dinner at affordable prices.
“At the same time, the government will intensify the Keluarga Malaysia Sales Programme (PJKM),” he said.
The statement was issued after Ismail Sabri chaired a meeting with the National Action Council on Cost of Living (NACCOL).
The meeting was attended by several ministers as well as representatives from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER), Khazanah Research Institute (KRI), Malay Economic Action Council (MTEM), Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public Service (Cuepacs), Federation of Malaysian Consumer Associations (Fomca) and Malaysian Retail Chain Association (MRCA).
