12 July 2022

Smuggling, Misappropriation of Subsidised Cooking Oil: Plug Leakages Permanently

MCA supports the action by the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs and Ministry (KPDNHEP) to suspend the operating licences of any businesses found guilty of smuggling and misusing subsidised cooking oil, under the Control of Supplies Act 1961.

A thorough investigation must be completed and perpetrators must be brought to justice. Simultaneously, loopholes in the process must be patched to put an end to this illicit trade.

Furthermore, whistleblowers must be given assurance for their safety, because exposing these individuals may bring harm to themselves and their families.

While the government continues its effort to reduce the impact of the inflation surge through subsidies for basic items such as cooking oil, the public has also voiced out that these items are always in short supply, defeating its purpose. On 11 July 2022, the Jihad Against Inflation Special Task Force announced that they have identified certain quarters responsible for smuggling subsidised cooking oil into Thailand.

More shockingly, Berita Harian reported that these illegal practices began around 15 year ago, from the time it was introduced by the government, and the supplies have never been interrupted.

For the past 15 years, an immense sum of money in subsidies allocated for the rakyat have been essentially “stolen” because of these irresponsible and traitorous quarters, who indirectly burden their fellow countrymen for the sake of enriching their own pockets, in spite of the current crisis where households are running low on cooking oil.

Furthermore, the subsidies allocated are not a paltry sum. RM500 million was spent in 2020, RM2.2 billion in 2021, and the highest this year, RM4 billion – just to subsidise cooking oil alone.

Saw Yee Fung

MCA Spokesperson

-MCA Online-