Ministry to introduce subsidised one-litre bottled cooking oil

Subsidised one-litre bottled cooking oil will be introduced in the near future, said Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin.

He said the move was part of the ministry's efforts to provide more variety and choice of subsidised cooking oil which currently is produced in 1kg plastic packets to consumers.

"The price of the new 1kg bottled cooking oil will be slightly more as the (packaging) cost of cooking oil in plastic packets is not more than 10 sen while bottled cooking oil will cost more than 40 sen each.

"I have met with repackers on Wednesday. I wanted to make sure that they are able to do this and will announce about it when everything is agreed," he said after closing the Consumer VI Forum 2016 organised by the Muslim Consumers Association of Malaysia (PPIM) here today.

The ministry had announced that the price of 1 kg of cooking oil packets would remain at RM2.50 but bottled cooking oil would be sold at market price effective Nov 1.

The forum, themed 'Moving the Consumer Power' which was attended by nearly 1,000 participants nationwide also featured several panelists such as PPIM chief activist Datuk Nadzim Johan and Transparency International Malaysia president Datuk Akhbar Satar.

Hamzah in his closing speech announced a RM5 million allocation as revolving capital for the soon-to-be-established PPIM Cooperative.

Earlier, when officiating the UMNO Veterans General Meeting ain Batu Kurau, near Larut, Perak, Hamzah said the supply of cooking oil in the market was expected to be fully stabilised by Monday.

He said most of cooking oil suppliers had given their assurance that the shortage of supplies would be solved by next week while a handful of them were in the process of getting supplies from manufacturers.

Hamzah also warned that the ministry would not hesitate to take stern action against retailers who refused to sell the 1kg cooking oil packet.

-- BERNAMA