BUTTERWORTH: For just a packet of RM2.50 subsidised cooking oil, a shop owner and a Bangladeshi man ended up in handcuffs.
Both pleaded guilty in the Sessions Court here to separate charges involving the sale and purchase of a packet of subsidised cooking oil.
Muhammad Anwar Karthiban, 30, was accused of selling a 1kg packet of controlled cooking oil to a non-Malaysian at about 5.40pm on July 19 at an unnamed shop along Lingkaran Cassia Barat in Simpang Ampat.
The charge, under Regulation 2(1) of the Control of Supplies (Prohibition on Sale and Purchase of Controlled Article) (Cooking Oil) Regulations 2026 read together with Section 22(1) of the Control of Supplies Act 1961, carries a fine of up to RM1mil, imprisonment of up to three years, or both upon conviction.
Bangladeshi national Md Roshidul Malitha, 44, pleaded guilty to buying a 1kg packet of controlled cooking oil from the same premises on the same day.
He was charged under Regulation 3(1) of the same regulations, read together with Section 22(1) of the Control of Supplies Act 1961.
A first conviction carries a fine of up to RM1mil, imprisonment of up to two years, or both.
Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry prosecuting officer Alsad Nasrullah appeared for the prosecution in both cases, while both accused were unrepresented.
Alsad asked the court to set bail at RM5,000 with one surety for Anwar and to require him to report regularly to the ministry’s Penang office.
“He should also be prohibited from engaging in any activities involving controlled or subsidised goods while the case is pending,” he said.
Anwar appealed for a lower bail, telling the court that his wife was heavily pregnant and expected to give birth later this month.
For Md Roshidul, Alsad sought bail of RM5,000 with two sureties, together with a condition requiring him to report monthly to the ministry’s Penang office.
Sessions Court judge Roslan Hamid set bail at RM3,000 for each accused and ordered both men to report monthly to the ministry’s Penang office.
He fixed Aug 21 for mention of both cases.
The 1kg subsidised cooking oil was sold at RM2.50 per packet.
The sale and purchase of subsidised cooking oil are regulated under the Cooking Oil Price Stabilisation Scheme (eCOSS) mobile application, which requires retailers to verify buyers before completing a transaction.
The scheme aims to improve the distribution of subsidised cooking oil and curb leakages.
