PETALING JAYA: The anti-inflation task force is to take action to cut smuggling of subsidised cooking oil to neighbouring countries, panel chairman Annuar Musa said yesterday.
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He said investigations had found sufficient evidence of subsidised cooking oil being smuggled abroad.
“If the current system cannot be improved, I will consider overhauling the entire oil subsidy supply system,” he said after a constituency event in Ketereh, Kelantan.
He said domestic trade and consumer affairs ministry officials had prepared an action plan to overcome the shortage of cooking oil, and the problem would be solved in two months.
Annuar said he would meet 22 cooking oil producers next week to get them to work together to control leakages and follow the rules.
“If this were to fail and as long as there is continued misuse of subsidised cooking oil, I will not hesitate to revamp the whole system and the task force will take stern action,” he said.
Some towns near the Thai border had been getting constant supply of subsidised cooking oil which is sold at RM7-RM8 per kg, he said.
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Earlier today, FMT reported that Malaysian subsidised cooking oil and other price-controlled items like wheat flour and sugar was on sale in Sungai Golok being sold at nearly every sundry shop in Sungai Golok market and nearby areas.
Annuar said: “Investigations revealed that our subsidised cooking oil is being sold by the cartons in boxes, and when they come in boxes which are unopened, these are directly from the packaging factories.”
“Certain parties are found to be involved. I do not want to divulge our plans here, but I just want to say that we are working hard and those involved are not going to escape,” he told reporters, Bernama reported.
Annuar said initial action had been taken to end “leakages” of subsidised cooking oil. He declined to elaborate, saying details would only jeopardise what the task force had set to do.
“Suffice to say, we already have enough information. Action has already been taken and there will be more to come,” he said.-FMT