Shortage of cooking oil in KK critical - MP

TAWAU: Member of Parliament for Tawau Datuk Chua Soon Bui said there is a critical shortage of subsidized cooking oil, especially in Kota Kinabalu.

 

Chua said she had visited several stalls and sundry shops and was told that the supply from the wholesalers had been reduced significantly.

"I have contacted the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism here to see if the supply is enough for the festive season," she said yesterday.

She said she was informed that Sabah only gets 6,000 metric tons of subsidized cooking oil per month.

"I thank the ministry here as the head, Fikri Lai had informed me they had adopted a benchmark systems and appointed 39 in the district to monitor and decentralise so every area has its own suppliers," she said.

However, since Sabah produces 35 per cent of the country's CPO (crude palm oil), such shortage shouid not occur, she said.

Chua said the ministry should consider the sudden surge in population with Sabah now having at 3.12 million people, excluding foreign workers and illegal immigrants.

"Therefore, I urge the ministry or MPOB (Malaysia Palm Oil Board) to increase the quota for Sabah, as at the moment the monthly supply can provide only about 2kg of subsidized cooking oil per person per month which is not enough," she said.

Chua said all enforcement agencies must step up efforts to curb the smuggling of subsidized cooking oil out of the state,,especially the most sought after 1kg plastic packets.

"I am informed that apart from peopie bringing oit this cooking oil to neighbouring countries, there are others using the service of street kids to go to supermarkets and buy the plastic packets cooking oil by coming in and out until they empty the shelves," she claimed.

The Borneo Post

Sunday August 21, 2011

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