KUALA LUMPUR: A nationwide operation to deter smuggling and misappropriation of subsidised goods has led to 514 arrests and RM59.9mil in seizures since March.
Deputy Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Dr Fuziah Salleh said, of the 1,542 cases recorded under Ops Tiris 4.0, 23 cases have been prosecuted as of Tuesday (Oct 20) and 248 compounded, with fines totalling RM290,000.
“The total value of compounds stood at RM950,900,” she said during the question and answer session in the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday (Oct 22).
She was responding to Datuk Seri Sh Mohmed Puzi Sh Ali (BN-Pekan), who asked how many cases had been prosecuted or compounded.
Fuziah said Ops Tiris 4.0 involved coordination with eight other agencies, with enforcement carried out on land, at land borders and at sea.
On the factors contributing to leakages, Fuziah said the previous blanket subsidy system had weaknesses that could be easily exploited.
These included the subsidy arrangements that the government was replacing with targeted subsidies, such as the Budi Diesel and Budi 95 programmes, the Subsidised Diesel Control System (SKDS), the Subsidised Petrol Control System (SKPS) and targeted subsidies for packet cooking oil.
“Previously, we practised a blanket subsidy policy. When we shifted to targeted subsidies, we addressed the weaknesses that had previously made leakages easier.
“Furthermore, market prices in neighbouring countries are higher than the subsidised prices of these controlled goods.
“Therefore, by shifting from blanket subsidies to targeted subsidies and combining this with integrated operations, we can control these leakages,” she said.
Responding to a supplementary question from Datuk Dr Nik Muhammad Zawawi Salleh (PN-Pasir Puteh) on the large-scale dumping of livestock and vegetables from Thailand, Fuziah acknowledged the challenges faced by enforcement agencies in monitoring the border.
She said smugglers often waited for enforcement boats to pass before crossing the narrow Sungai Golok, making round-the-clock surveillance difficult.
Fuziah said coordinated operations involving multiple agencies were therefore important, adding that the public also had a responsibility not to participate in smuggling activities.
