Bintulu KPDNKK chief: Enough stock of 1kg pack of subsidised cooking oil
BINTULU: The Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism (KPDNKK) Bintulu chief Salihin Den yesterday assured consumers that there is sufficient stock of 1kg packs of subsidised cooking oil for domestic consumption.
“There is no shortage of supply contrary to what has been viraled on social media; the issue here is just excessive buying among the consumers,” he told reporters after conducting a stock inspection at the warehouse of a wholesaler in Jalan Sungai Nyigu here yesterday.
From the inspection, a total of 896 boxes of 1kg polybags of cooking oil were found in the warehouse.
“In Bintulu, we have five main wholesalers supplying cooking oil and currently we are still processing one application from a repacking company,” he said.
Asked on other factors that contribute to the panic buying among the public, Salihin said in some cases it might be due to the delay in transporting the goods to some retailers.
“Once they (consumers) find it in other stores, usually they start stockpiling the cooking oil,” he said.
The subsidised cooking oil in the 1kg pack is sold at RM2.50.
For wholesalers here, he said they are given a quota of between 18 and 30 metric tonnes of cooking oil per month which is more than enough for the population in Bintulu as each individual consumes about half a kilogramme per month.
At the same time, Salihin warned errant traders that action would be taken against them if they are found selling the subsidised cooking oil above the stipulated price.
On Monday, he ordered his enforcement team to carry out inspection on several premises, during which they found an outlet not displaying price tags for the item.
“We have warned the owner of the premises not to sell the item above the stipulated price set by the government,” Salihin said, adding that they would continue their monitoring and inspection.
He reminded the public to directly call the KPDNKK Bintulu office at 086- 332176 should they have enquiries or complaints so that immediate action can be taken.
“Please get the information and explanation from a reliable source to avoid panic buying and the best way is through KPDNKK. So far, we have not received any complaints from the public,” he added.