Over 50 tonnes of subsidised cooking oil sold in breach of guidelines, Auditor-General's Report reveals
According to the report released Monday (July 21), these transactions were not in line with the Cooking Oil Price Stabilisation Scheme (COSS) standard operating procedures issued by the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry.
An audit at a Kelantan-based retailer last July found the business, which operated as a restaurant, had stored up to 204kg of subsidised cooking oil.
In 2024, the company had purchased 11,390kg of subsidised oil from five manufacturers.
An unrecorded sale of 561kg between the retailer and a manufacturer was also flagged.
In Terengganu, a wholesaler was found to have sold cooking oil to multiple caterers between January 2023 and June 2024. Audit checks revealed 189 cash transactions worth RM77,657.50 involving subsidised oil.
A separate case in Miri, Sarawak, found that a supplier had distributed RM5,700 worth of subsidised cooking oil to unlicensed individuals for free between April and July last year.
The supplier claimed to represent an NGO.
Following these findings, the ministry confirmed that the Kelantan company's controlled goods licence had been revoked and its eCOSS account deactivated to prevent further supply.
The unrecorded transaction will meanwhile be referred to the ministry's enforcement division. The wholesaler's account in Terengganu has also been deactivated pending investigations.
The report also revealed cases of retailers selling more than three packets of subsidised oil per customer.
This includes a case in Selangor which sold 170 packets worth RM425 to a catering company, and a trader in Terengganu who made two transactions totalling RM57.50.
The report also revealed discrepancies in how subsidised cooking oil stocks were recorded and kept in the inventory.
'Lack of effective enforcement will open opportunities for companies to manipulate sales in their stock books,' it said.
The report also said there were no clear guidelines for managing spoiled cooking oil nor its sale, resulting in two companies storing 942kg of the product for sale to used cooking oil collectors.
16 companies were also involved in the repackaging of spoiled cooking oil.
The Auditor-General proposed that the ministry improve its COSS guidelines to tackle said issues.
'There must also be targeted distribution schemes to ensure only eligible households can purchase the subsidised product, and limit it being sold to foreigners and commercial entities.
'The purchase limit should also be reviewed so it aligns with actual needs alongside avoiding large-scale purchases for commercial purposes,' it said.
It added that the COSS system must be used holistically to prevent any leakages.
'Periodic internal audits and cross verification with stock books and reporting systems must be made mandatory for manufacturers, packaging companies, wholesalers and traders to ensure a more comprehensive monitoring system,' it said.
It also proposed that targeted initiatives like the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah programme be expanded.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
5 hours ago
- The Star
This robot uses Japanese tradition and AI for sashimi that lasts longer and is more humane
A Los Angeles-area startup is using artificial intelligence and robotics in an unlikely way: making sashimi and other fish dishes taste better, last longer and more humane. El Segundo, California-based Shinkei Systems wants to bring a traditional Japanese method of handling fish to fine dining in America, using technology to replace the labour-intensive process historically handled by practitioners on board ships. Investors have just bet millions that it will succeed. The company's AI-driven robot – called Poseidon – has been designed to do a traditional form of fish handling called ikejime in Japanese. It is a method of killing fish that enthusiasts say enhances flavour, texture and shelf life. Although fish processed in this way is found in some of the best restaurants in Japan, it hasn't been promoted in the US because it is generally too expensive. Automating the process will make it more readily available to Americans, said Saif Khawaja, the company's chief executive. "My end goal is that you're walking into your local grocery store and can buy fish that lasts three times as long, tastes better and is handled humanely," he said. The company raised US$22mil (RM 94.10mil) in a funding round last month, co-led by Founders Fund and Interlagos, bringing total funding to US$30mil (RM 128.32mil) since its inception. It has four Poseidons working on ships in the Pacific and Atlantic and hopes to have 10 more working in the coming year. The ikejime process involves taking live fish that has just been caught and quickly putting them out of their misery by killing them with a spike through the brain and cutting their gills. This stops the stress hormone and lactic acid buildup that can hurt flavor and texture when fish are left to asphyxiate. Although traditional practitioners sometimes add a step in which the spinal cord is destroyed, Poseidon just does the first steps of the ikejime technique. The method has remained largely artisanal even in Japan, where only some fishermen will make the effort to process batches of fish in this way to sell to specific sushi chefs who are obsessed with having the highest-quality ingredients. Even in Japan, the method "is still too labour-intensive to replicate at a high speed without damaging the fish," Khawaja said, adding that, "It's impractical and unsustainable for fishermen to adopt methods that require significant hands-on work," in the US. Shinkei says it also has a higher calling than just better-tasting fish. Khawaja said one of the motivations for developing the technology was to try to find a kinder, gentler way to kill fish than letting them die gasping for air. During childhood fishing trips with his father in the Red Sea, he remembers it being "very hard to watch" fish suffocating after they were caught. Poseidon is roughly refrigerator-sized and sits on fishing boat decks. — Courtesy Shinkei Systems/TNS While he was in graduate school at the University of Pennsylvania, Khawaja was moved by an essay that argued that fish suffer inhumane deaths because they cannot vocalise pain. He even once considered developing sensors to make fish's pain audible. Shinkei provides Poseidon machines to fishermen, who then sell fish processed through the machines back to Shinkei at a premium. Shinkei in turn sells the fish to restaurants and other retailers under its fish company Seremoni. Poseidon is roughly refrigerator-sized and sits on fishing boat decks. It processes fish within seconds of being caught. The fish is fed through an opening in the machine and into a small vinyl cavity. The machine then uses AI to identify what kind of fish it is and where exactly its brain and gills are. Fish emerge with a hole in the head and incisions near the gills before being placed in an ice slurry for blood drainage. Quickly killing the fish, bleeding it and chilling it without freezing leads to fish that is noticeably better, Khawaja said. "There's going to be a flavour profile difference and there's going to be texture profile difference," he said. The company chose Los Angeles for its headquarters and production because it has the right mix of potential employees as well as customers. It has the mechanical engineering talent as well as a major fishing fleet and lots of high-end restaurants. "The best mechanical engineering talent in the world, in my opinion, is in Southern California," said Seremoni co-founder Reed Ginsberg. The city is also a major health and consumer products hub as well as a trend setter for cutting-edge food fads. Chef Michael Cimarusti, co-owner of the Michelin starred Providence restaurant in Los Angeles, says he tries to buy local ikejime fish when he can because it preserves the quality and color. The fish preserved using ikejime look as if they "were just pulled from the water minutes ago," he said in an interview posted on YouTube by the American Fishing Tackle Co. Shinkei currently processes thousands of pounds weekly across operations in Washington, Central California and Massachusetts, with expansion to Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico planned this year. After feedback from fishermen that the bots took up too much deck space, the company developed "Block 2" robots that have roughly half the footprint while processing fish twice as fast. Currently, black cod and black sea bass processed through Poseidon are sold under Shinkei's brand Seremoni at retailers such as Happier Grocery and served at upscale restaurants including Atomix and Sushi Zo. This summer, the company plans to add salmon and red snapper to its offerings. – Los Angeles Times/Tribune News Service
The Sun
9 hours ago
- The Sun
Bog Apple: NYC discovers stand-alone toilet pods
NEW YORK: Faced with closed restrooms, vandalized facilities and lavatory deserts, New Yorkers and visitors to the city alike confront a host of hurdles to relieve themselves when out and about. In its latest efforts to combat this problem, the Big Apple has turned to a Portland-based company that designs modular public conveniences it claims are city-proof. The products, dubbed 'Portland Loos,' are the brainchild of Madden Fabrication and have garnered something of a cult following around the versatile, kiosk-like facilities which the company says are far cheaper than traditional toilet buildings. Such public toilet pods have already been installed in 250 locations throughout the United States. New York has pledged to build 49 new public bathrooms by 2029 to combat the lack of toilets across the five boroughs. Currently, there are approximately 1,100 public conveniences for the megacity's 8.4 million people, according to official estimates. - 'Simple but durable' - The city will spend $150 million on building new restrooms and renovating 36 existing sites. At the $200,000 unit installed in the Bronx's Joyce Kilmer park, two blocks from Yankee Stadium baseball park, bystanders eyed the new fixture with interest. One man accidentally activated the hand dryer, part of a sink fitting located on the outside of the booth. A spokesman for the company described the design as 'simple but durable,' with the basin placed outside in order to keep people moving and avoid a 'hotel effect.' 'Hell yeah, we haven't had a bathroom in this area in forever,' said lifelong Bronx resident Carlos Lopez, describing discrepancies in public restroom access between lower-income and wealthier neighborhoods. For the five trial units ordered, New York insisted on a higher grade of stainless steel and other modifications to meet strict planning rules. Street photographer Elijah Dominique, who lives near the park, said public bathrooms were especially important for unhoused people. 'We've got a lot of homeless people in this area,' Dominique said. 'Those are the people who really need these bathrooms. It's good for them -- and for us too so that we're not stepping in (waste) on the sidewalks. Nobody wants that.' - Reuters
The Star
10 hours ago
- The Star
Consumers unfazed by new egg prices amid subsidy restructuring
Eggs galore: A customer seen choosing chicken eggs in a supermarket in this file photo. KUALA LUMPUR: Egg supplies are steady at supermarkets here with most consumers apparently undeterred by its prices on Day One of Malaysia's move to restructure subsidies for them. 'Even if prices go up, I would need to continue buying eggs,' said self-employed Ishak Moosa, 51, who buys at least two trays weekly. 'I eat four eggs for breakfast while my son eats two. I think it is the most basic food with good nutritional value.' A check by The Star yesterday showed that Grade C eggs cost between RM10.53 and RM10.59 per tray of 30 eggs, Grade B eggs were between RM11.40 and RM12, and Grade A eggs were between RM12.20 and RM12.60. Based on observations, prices had remained about the same. As comparison, the prices per tray on Thursday for Grade C were RM10.50 to RM10.65, Grade B were RM11.40 to RM11.85, and Grade A were RM12 to RM12.60, according to and Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry's PriceCatcher application. The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry had, in a previous statement, announced that the restructuring of chicken egg subsidies would take effect from yesterday in a move to ensure a targeted subsidy approach and to maintain supply security and price stability. The Star found that many consumers at the supermarket preferred Grade A and B eggs. There were plenty of Grade C eggs available. 'I don't buy Grade C eggs if A or B are not available. 'Instead, I would opt for the Omega eggs because I think the price is somewhat okay,' said Ishak. Asked about the government's move to introduce 'special grade eggs' which will be sold at more affordable prices, Ishak said that this would be good especially for those from B40 families. Eg's Wok Kitchen manager Rizwana Bashir said the availability of affordably priced eggs for the targeted community would be beneficial, as price remains a crucial factor. 'We use pasteurised eggs. So far, we have not seen an increase in its price. But we would use normal eggs for our roti jala. 'If there is any increase, the costing will be affected, but you can't increase the price of food too much because consumers won't patronise your shop. 'So, affordable eggs would be good for all because we want to cater to the masses including the B40 who also deserve to eat out,' she said. As for assistant manager Idah A., she spoke about her preference for the 'bigger Omega eggs'. 'I would rather spend more buying healthier and bigger eggs. 'I don't buy the normal ones because they don't last long.' However, she acknowledged the need for many families to buy Grade B or C eggs as they were recipients of government aid. 'So, when it comes to buying eggs, everyone has their own preferences,' said Idah, 55.
