Enough supply of cooking oil in 1kg packets throughout November - Hamzah

Sixty million packets of cooking oil in one-kilogramme packets are being produced in stages throughout this month and the amount is enough to cover the needs of consumers nationwide, said Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin.

He said 20 million one-kilogramme cooking oil packs had been produced in the first 10 days of this month, 20 million packs would be out in the second 10 days and another 20 million packs in the last 10 days.

"The issue of scarce supply of cooking oil in the market has started to subside compared to the first week of November. The number of complaints received by the ministry (on cooking oil shortage) has also reduced to 400 compared to nearly 1,000 complaints in the first week of November," he told reporters after attending the ministry's monthly assembly here today.

Beginning Nov 1, bottled cooking oil was sold at prices fixed by the manufacturers while the subsidised one-kilogramme packets remained at RM2.50.

Hamzah said cooking oil shortage in the market happened because of the confusion among manufacturers and repackers, panic buying by consumers and hoarding oil by certain groups.

Asked on the proposal to sell one-kilogramme cooking oil in bottle, Hamzah said the matter should be discussed in detail because each bottle cost 47 sen.

On claims in social media that the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) would be increased by RM7 per cylinder next year, he said the ministry had lodged a police report at the Putrajaya Police Headquarters yesterday.

"The ministry wants the police to investigate the people who started the rumour," he said.

Meanwhile, in KUALA TERENGGANU, Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry (KPDNKK) director for Terengganu Azlan Abdul Samat said the purchase of cooking oil in bulk must be referred to its offices in the state.

He said it was to facilitate purchase especially from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) or government departments and agencies for flood victims.

"When referred to the ministry, we will issue a letter that allows repackers or wholesalers to sell the oil in bulk to the NGOs or the government departments and agencies.

"It is also to ensure that bulk purchases will be recorded to avoid misunderstanding towards the wholesalers or repackers," he told Bernama. -- BERNAMA