KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 29 — The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) plans to enforce a regulation prohibiting non-citizens from purchasing subsidised packaged cooking oil, effective March 1.
Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said the regulation is based on provisions under the Supply Control Regulations, citing the authority of Section 6 of the Control of Supplies Act 1961.
“The legal framework will be referred to the Attorney General’s Chambers before enforcement. This ban aims to ensure that the subsidy benefits only citizens and does not allow foreign nationals to take advantage of it,” he said during the Minister’s Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat today
He said this in response to a supplementary question from Abdul Latiff Abdul Rahman (PN-Kuala Krai) regarding KPDN’s plans to integrate the Cooking Oil Price Stabilisation Scheme System (eCOSS) with other databases to reduce bureaucratic inefficiencies.
Armizan indicated that KPDN is also discussing with the Ministry of Finance the integration of the MyKasih platform as a potential method for citizens to purchase subsidised packaged cooking oil.
He suggested that in the future, consumers might be able to buy the oil by scanning their identity cards without the need for the eCOSS application.
Amrizan noted that the successful use of MyKad for initiatives such as the Rahmah Basic Contribution (SARA) and Budi Madani RON 95 serves as a reference for implementing this new purchase option for subsidised cooking oil.
On the effectiveness of eCOSS in preventing misuse of subsidised cooking oil, Armizan said since its implementation in May 2025, the system has recorded the sale of 20,361,432 packages.
“This data allows the ministry to track who is buying the packaged cooking oil among citizens and helps to direct the programme based on informed decisions, which aligns with the ministry’s objectives,” he added. — Bernama
