Ministry takes action against supermarket imposing minimum purchase to buy subsidised oil packets

PARIT - A supermarket in Seri Iskandar is facing action after being found to impose a purchase condition for one kilogramme subsidised cooking oil pack.

This was revealed through the Op Samar operation conducted by the Perak Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) on Wednesday as a result of complaints from the public.

State KPDN director Datuk Kamalludin Ismail said the investigation found that the supermarket had forced shoppers to spend RM20 worth of other items before they could buy cooking oil packets.

He said the action was done to make profit for the supermarket as one kilogramme packets of cooking oil was a current requirement.

"During the inspection, law enforcers disguised as buyers did two test purchases. For the first test, the workers informed that there was no supply of cooking oil in the supermarket.

"The second purchase test was carried out by buying goods worth RM15 and found that the workers there allowed the purchase of one packet of cooking oil.

"The workers informed that they needed to buy other goods worth more than RM20," he said in a statement, today.

Kamalludin said further inspection later found that there were 32 packets of one kilogramme subsidised cooking oil stored in the store.

He said the premises have a controlled goods license (CSA) for sugar, cooking oil and flour which was still valid.

"A stock declaration instruction under Section 8 of the Supply Control Act 1961 is given to the owner of premises.

"Cooking oil packets found to be worth RM80 was also seized," he said.