KUALA LUMPUR: Effective March 1, foreigners will be prohibited from purchasing subsidised cooking oil packets sold at RM2.50 each.
Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat today, domestic trade and cost of living minister Armizan Mohd Ali said the ban would be implemented under the Supply Control Regulations pursuant to Section 6 of the Supply Act 1961.
The legal provisions will be referred to the Attorney-General’s Chambers before enforcement, he said.
“Previously, there were calls to restrict purchases by foreigners, but retailers raised practical concerns regarding implementation, including monitoring and enforcement,” he said.
“By linking purchases to citizens’ identification card details, the system will allow retailers and authorities to effectively enforce the ban.”
Armizan was responding to Abdul Latiff Abdul Rahman (PN-Kuala Krai), who questioned the effectiveness of the Cooking Oil Price Stabilisation Scheme System (eCOSS) price stabilisation system in distributing subsidised cooking oil to the elderly and low-income households.
Abdul Latiff also highlighted difficulties in rural areas without internet access and asked for measures to ensure that no households are left out.
MORE TO COME
