Foreigners will no longer be allowed to purchase subsidised 1kg cooking oil packets priced at RM2.50 each starting March 1.
Domestic trade and cost of living minister Armizan Mohd Ali announced this in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He said the prohibition will be enforced under the Supply Control Regulations in line with Section 6 of the Supply Act 1961.
The legal framework will first be referred to the Attorney-General’s Chambers before implementation begins.
“Earlier there were suggestions to restrict sales to foreigners, but retailers pointed out practical challenges in monitoring and enforcement,” Armizan explained.
Linking purchases to MyKad for better control
The new measure will tie purchases to Malaysian identification card details.
This system will enable retailers and authorities to enforce the rule more effectively and prevent misuse.
Armizan was replying to Abdul Latiff Abdul Rahman (PN-Kuala Krai), who raised questions about the effectiveness of the Cooking Oil Price Stabilisation Scheme System (eCOSS).
Abdul Latiff asked how the system ensures subsidised cooking oil reaches elderly people and low-income households, particularly in rural areas with limited or no internet access.
The programme allocates a monthly quota of 60,000 metric tonnes of subsidised cooking oil mainly for Malaysian households, with special focus on B40 groups.
The subsidy applies only to 1kg polybag packets intended for household use, a policy in place since 2007 to curb industrial misuse and smuggling.
Previously, consumers scanned QR codes at shops to confirm eligibility and restrict sales to Malaysians.
Addressing access for elderly and rural communities
To ease concerns about the Mobile eCOSS app excluding elderly, low-income, and rural residents without internet or smartphones, Armizan said the ministry has been expanding the system since May last year.
The rollout began in Putrajaya, continued with selected outlets under Program Jualan Rahmah Madani, then expanded to Johor in partnership with the state government, and later to other states.
“At this pilot stage, manual purchases remain allowed and records can be kept manually,” he noted.
Targeted manual purchase options will be made available at selected retail outlets that lack internet connectivity.
Retailers will assist elderly and low-income buyers, with special arrangements for those without smartphones or online access.
Armizan added that the eCOSS system will be integrated with the MyKasih platform, enabling purchases using identification cards in a way similar to the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah programme.
“We are collaborating with the finance ministry to make this integration possible,” he said.
