Penang Hindu Association claims subsidised cooking oil being repackaged as prayer oil
GEORGE TOWN: In an effort to prevent the misuse of subsidised cooking oil, the Penang Hindu Association (PHA) is urging consumers to always check the prices and the source of prayer oil before buying.
In a statement, PHA president Datuk P.Murugiah claimed that most of the oil used in Hindu praying rituals and temples is actually being misused and derived from subsidised cooking oil meant for low-income households.
"We found out that most of the 'prayer oil' sold in the state – especially in (prayer material) supply stores – is actually repackaged subsidised cooking oil," he claimed.
He added that subsidised oil, which is priced at RM2.50 per kilogramme, is sold at as high as RM8.20 per litre for use in rituals.
"In a recent price survey carried out by PHA, a particular prayer oil brand is listed at RM8.20 per litre – which is a mind-blowing 228% profit from the actual subsidised price and some brands of prayer oils cost even more," he said in a statement on Thursday (June 26).
He said this practice, if left unchecked, will defeat the purpose of the subsidy meant for the B40 group and when this oil is rerouted into religious retail at such inflated prices, the benefit is lost-and someone else pockets the profit.
Murugiah said the issue is not a new problem and just two years ago in 2023, the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry caught a trader repackaging subsidised cooking oil in different bottles and selling them as prayer oil at high prices.
He said some suppliers would even use dyes in the oils in order to hoodwink authorities.
He said PHA is calling on the ministry to tighten enforcement and conduct frequent spot checks at retail outlets, especially those selling religious paraphernalia.
"We urge the ministry to compel prayer oil traders to declare the source of their products and list the retail price clearly on the packaging. This is in line with labelling laws and will ensure consumers are not misled," he said.
He said the association also supports a full nationwide rollout of the Cooking Oil Price Stabilisation Scheme System (eCoss), which is designed to track the supply of subsidised oil from refinery to retail.
He believes eCoss can plug the loopholes currently exploited by rogue suppliers and he also urged consumers to stay alert and check the source of the oil they buy for prayer use.
Meanwhile, Penang Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry director S. Jegan said they consistently monitor all activities involving the use of subsidised cooking oil to prevent misuse or diversion.
He said monitoring is not limited to supply but also covers all related activities, including the use of cooking oil in religious rituals such as temple offerings by Hindu devotees, as mentioned by the PHA.
While no official complaints have been received so far on the matter, he said the department continues to carry out its duties, including those concerning the misuse of subsidised goods.
"The ministry will not hesitate to take action against any party found involved in the misappropriation of subsidised items. We urge anyone with information regarding such misuse to report it to us. This will help facilitate prompt enforcement and, at the same time, prevent unnecessary panic or public concern that could lead to disharmony," he said. – Bernama
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Penang Hindu Association claims subsidised cooking oil being repackaged as prayer oil
GEORGE TOWN: In an effort to prevent the misuse of subsidised cooking oil, the Penang Hindu Association (PHA) is urging consumers to always check the prices and the source of prayer oil before buying. In a statement, PHA president Datuk claimed that most of the oil used in Hindu praying rituals and temples is actually being misused and derived from subsidised cooking oil meant for low-income households. "We found out that most of the 'prayer oil' sold in the state – especially in (prayer material) supply stores – is actually repackaged subsidised cooking oil," he claimed. He added that subsidised oil, which is priced at RM2.50 per kilogramme, is sold at as high as RM8.20 per litre for use in rituals. "In a recent price survey carried out by PHA, a particular prayer oil brand is listed at RM8.20 per litre – which is a mind-blowing 228% profit from the actual subsidised price and some brands of prayer oils cost even more," he said in a statement on Thursday (June 26). He said this practice, if left unchecked, will defeat the purpose of the subsidy meant for the B40 group and when this oil is rerouted into religious retail at such inflated prices, the benefit is lost-and someone else pockets the profit. Murugiah said the issue is not a new problem and just two years ago in 2023, the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry caught a trader repackaging subsidised cooking oil in different bottles and selling them as prayer oil at high prices. He said some suppliers would even use dyes in the oils in order to hoodwink authorities. He said PHA is calling on the ministry to tighten enforcement and conduct frequent spot checks at retail outlets, especially those selling religious paraphernalia. "We urge the ministry to compel prayer oil traders to declare the source of their products and list the retail price clearly on the packaging. This is in line with labelling laws and will ensure consumers are not misled," he said. He said the association also supports a full nationwide rollout of the Cooking Oil Price Stabilisation Scheme System (eCoss), which is designed to track the supply of subsidised oil from refinery to retail. He believes eCoss can plug the loopholes currently exploited by rogue suppliers and he also urged consumers to stay alert and check the source of the oil they buy for prayer use. Meanwhile, Penang Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry director S. Jegan said they consistently monitor all activities involving the use of subsidised cooking oil to prevent misuse or diversion. He said monitoring is not limited to supply but also covers all related activities, including the use of cooking oil in religious rituals such as temple offerings by Hindu devotees, as mentioned by the PHA. While no official complaints have been received so far on the matter, he said the department continues to carry out its duties, including those concerning the misuse of subsidised goods. "The ministry will not hesitate to take action against any party found involved in the misappropriation of subsidised items. We urge anyone with information regarding such misuse to report it to us. This will help facilitate prompt enforcement and, at the same time, prevent unnecessary panic or public concern that could lead to disharmony," he said. – Bernama
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GEORGE TOWN: The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN), Penang, will not hesitate to take action against individuals or entities involved in the misuse of subsidised goods. State director S. Jegan said the department continuously monitors all activities involving the use of cooking oil, not just in terms of supply, but also related practices, including the use of oil in religious rituals, such as prayer oil used by Hindu devotees, as raised by the Penang Hindu Association (PHA). "Although we have yet to receive any official complaints on the matter, our enforcement officers are consistently carrying out duties under all relevant laws, including those related to the misuse of subsidised goods. "We urge any parties, whether members of the public or associations, who have information regarding such misuse to channel it to KPDN through our official complaint channels. "This will facilitate early action and help avoid public panic or concerns that may lead to a disharmonious situation," he said today. His remarks came in response to concerns raised by the PHA regarding enforcement efforts to curb the misuse of subsidised cooking oil. PHA president Datuk P. Murugiah claimed the association had received insider information from retail sources that most of the prayer oil used by Hindus and temples was, in fact, subsidised cooking oil. "The government introduced the RM2.50 per kg subsidised cooking oil scheme to ensure affordability for low-income households, particularly those in the B40 group. "However, this initiative has been exploited by unscrupulous suppliers who repackage the cooking oil as prayer oil and sell it at exorbitant prices. "In a recent PHA price survey, one particular prayer oil brand was listed at RM8.20 per litre, a staggering 228 per cent profit from the subsidised price. Some brands are sold at even higher prices," he said in a statement. Murugiah added that the issue was not new. Two years ago, KPDN enforcement officers apprehended a trader for refilling subsidised cooking oil into different bottles and selling it as prayer oil at inflated prices. PHA has urged KPDN to intensify its monitoring of the matter and to conduct regular checks on the source and pricing of prayer oil products sold at retail outlets.
