Raids, audit, legalisation ops underway to ensure no leakage of subsidised cooking oil

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the raids, which would be conducted by the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP), Royal Malaysia Police and the Armed Forces, aimed at ensuring that this year's RM4 billion cooking oil subsidies would not leak at any level of the supply chain and would really reach the people and help alleviate their burden.

"Stern actions, including revocation of licence and quota given to the manufacturers and repackers, will be taken in an effort to tackle leakage in the supply of subsidised packet cooking oil," he said in a statement today.

Ismail Sabri said comprehensive audits and legalisation operations would also be conducted involving 22 manufacturers and 305 repackers of subsidised cooking oil operating across the country.

"The operations aimed at finding out the actual status on the number of cooking oil in packets produced by the manufacturers and repackers, as well as the information on the recipients of the subsidised cooking oil," he said.

The Prime Minister had earlier chaired the meeting of the National Action Council on Cost of Living (NACCOL) which was attended by several Cabinet ministers as well as representatives from the Department of Statistics, Malaysian Institute of Economic Research, Khazanah Research Institute, Malay Economic Action Council, Congress of Union of Employees in the Public and Civil Services Malaysia, Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations and Malaysia Retail Chain Association.

He said the meeting also agreed that government would intensify the Keluarga Malaysia Sales Programme by offering essential items at a lower price, which involves strategic cooperation among Members of Parliament, assemblymen and local authorities, and expanding it to institutions of higher education (IPT) nationwide.

Ismail Sabri said the programme, which to be co-organised by KPDNHEP, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries, Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives, as well as the Ministry of Federal Territories, was also being held using a mobile concept.

"The government will also introduce the Keluarga Malaysia Menu at cooperative-owned restaurants and cafeteria, as well as all food outlets at IPT as an alternative to purchase breakfast, lunch and dinner at reasonable prices.

"The government always listens to the problems faced by the people and will strive to ensure that the challenges of the rising cost of living can be faced in the best possible way," he said.