A small group of cooking oil repackers in Perak are resorting to used containers with doubtful halal status as a cost-saving measure.

The enforcement head of the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry (KPDNKK) in Perak, Suhaimi Mat Sari said using recycled plastic bottles was in violation of the licensing conditions under the Control of Supplies Act 1961.

He said even though repackers held halal certificates from the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim), using recycled containers was not permitted.

"It is an offence as we do not know what the old containers were used for, whether they were for halal products or otherwise. In this regard, we are advising all 24 repackers in Perak to not use recycled containers to avoid any actions by the authorities," he told the media here Thursday.

Suhaimi said three men, in their 50's, were detained for using used containers to repack cooking oil at an industrial area in Jelapang here Wednesday.

In the 2pm raid, KPDNKK seized 323 kilogrammes of cooking oil worth RM1,060 for industrial use, packed in used containers.

"All the containers confiscated were sent to the Chemistry Department for tests on their previous content," he said.

Suhaimi added that there was no need for panic buying of cooking oil as there was adequate supply.

On Oct 26, Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin announced that cooking oil in 1kg pack would continue to be sold at RM2.50 but cooking oil in bottles would be sold according to the market price effective Nov 1.

In KUANTAN, the state KPDNKK had applied to increase the quota of subsidised cooking oil production to meet the market demand even though there was enough supply.

Its director Sharuddin Jali said the existing quota was 3,300 tonnes a month and manufacturers would be given notice for additional output on Saturday.

He said the shortage of cooking oil reported in the state was due to consumers buying in large quantities.

"As such to overcome the problem, traders have been directed to limit sales to only two packets of one kilogramme pack cooking oil in one receipt and by increasing the production quota," he said.

Sharuddin told reporters after attending a briefing on laws under KPDNKK to members of Pahang Headmen Union at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) hall here Thursday. -- BERNAMA