KUALA LUMPUR: Regulations prohibiting the sale of subsidised packaged cooking oil to foreigners are expected to come into force on March 1, says Datuk Seri Armizan Mohd Ali.
“The Ministry will gazette regulations prohibiting the purchase of subsidised packaged cooking oil by non- citizens through provisions under the Control of Supplies Regulations, to be drafted pursuant to the powers conferred by Section 6 of the Control of Supplies Act 1961,” the Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living said during Minister Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday (Jan 29).
“We are currently in discussions with the Attorney General's Chambers, and enforcement will commence on March 1, 2026,” he added.
He said the Cooking Oil Price Stabilisation Scheme (eCOSS), which digitally records data across the entire distribution chain, enables the government to effectively enforce the ban on the sale of subsidised cooking oil to non- citizens.
He added that the Ministry would continue to enhance eCOSS management, whether through the mobile application or other available channels.
He explained that the system tracks purchases and transactions, helping to curb leakages of subsidised packaged cooking oil through diversion and smuggling activities that have long persisted.
The rollout of the Mobile eCOSS application has been expanded gradually since May 2025.
“It began in Putrajaya, followed by premises under the Rahmah Madani Sales Programme, then the state of Johor in cooperation with the Johor State Government, and subsequently selected premises in other states,” he said.
During the pilot phase, manual purchasing methods and manual transaction recording were still permitted.
“Assistance and support at sales premises are provided by retailers through special mechanisms for senior citizens and low-income groups who do not own mobile phones with internet access,” he said.
Armizan added that the eCOSS system will also be integrated with the MyKasih platform to enable an additional purchase option using the MyKad, similar to the SARA Programme. The Ministry is currently working with the Ministry of Finance to realise this initiative.
He said the QR Code on the newer version of the MyKad could also be used to verify purchases of subsidised cooking oil.
He was responding to a question from Abdul Latiff Abdul Rahman (PN–Kuala Krai) on the measures taken to ensure that no households are left behind following the implementation of the application.
