Hypermarket imposes purchase limit for cooking oil

Lotus’s Malaysia has introduced a purchasing limit for palm cooking oil, with each customer limited to two 5kg bottles and three 1kg packets each.

This was after shoppers complained about difficulties in buying cooking oil in the past week since the government announced that subsidies for the 2kg, 3kg, and 5kg bottled palm cooking oil will be removed on July 1.

“We have sufficient stocks of 1kg and 5kg cooking oil in all Lotus’s stores.

“However, to allow all customers to have continuous access to cooking oil, we are limiting purchases to three bags of 1kg and two bottles of 5kg cooking oils per customer,” said the hypermarket chain in a statement on social media.

The government previously set a maximum retail price for bottled palm cooking oil last August, with the assurance that consumers would be able to buy them at below RM30 for a 5kg bottle.

The maximum retail price for palm cooking oil was set at 1kg bottle (RM6.70), 2kg (RM12.70), 3kg (RM18.70), and 5kg (RM29.70).

The subsidy for cooking oil in 1kg polybag packages, which are offered to consumers at RM2.50 per packet, will continue.

Petty traders to hike prices

Meanwhile, small-scale eatery operators who have been purchasing 1kg polybag cooking oil lamented the increased operating costs in the past week as they were unable to buy the subsidised cooking oil.

When contacted, Ayob Abd Majid, who runs a food stall in Kampung Pandan, said he was unable to buy any since the government announced the removal of bottled cooking oil subsidies.

“I couldn’t find the cooking oil packet in Kampung Pandan and in Ampang, the area where I stay. I have to fork out an extra 50 percent just for the cooking oil.

“As for me, cooking oil now makes up to about 10 percent of my operating expenses,” said Ayob, 61, who is also Ampang Petty Economy Trader Association chairperson. 

He said food hawkers and eatery operators who faced similar issues would be forced to increase prices between 20 and 30 percent next month.

“The mee goreng may increase by 50 sen to RM1, same goes to nasi kerabu next month. Some eateries have increased their food prices,” he said.

“We are not just burdened by the (indirect hike) of cooking oil price alone, but we are getting other food supplies which charge us a higher price now,” added Ayob.

While noting that the subsidised cooking oil was not meant for commercial use, he said the subsidised packets of cooking oil are mainly purchased by food and eatery operators.

Ayob appealed to the government to issue a guideline which allows small-scale eatery operators to access the subsidised cooking oil.

“We hardly have enough money and food to live on. We just survived the Covid-19 pandemic, let us breathe a sigh of relief instead of burdening us with all sort of rising operating costs,” he said.- Mkini