By Aida Aziz
Photo KPDN Perak
SERI ISKANDAR: The owner of a store imposed a minimum spending of RM20 on other items as a requirement to qualify for purchasing subsidized cooking oil packets, otherwise, they would refuse to sell the controlled goods to consumers.
According to the Director of the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDN) for the State of Perak, Datuk Kamalludin Ismail, an operation was conducted at the store involving undercover officers and test purchases.
“This was the result of a public complaint about traders imposing conditions for purchasing 1-kilogram (kg) subsidized cooking oil packets at the premises.
“The enforcement officers conducted two test purchases; initially, the store staff informed them that there was no cooking oil available on the premises.
“The second test purchase was made by buying other items worth RM15, and the staff allowed the purchase of one packet of cooking oil.
“Subsequently, when the undercover officers attempted to buy two more packets, the staff stated that they needed to buy additional items worth over RM20,” he said in a statement today.
Therefore, a team of uniformed enforcement officers conducted a thorough inspection of the premises and found 32 packets of 1 kg subsidized cooking oil.
He said they were found stored inside the premises’ storeroom.
The store employee, when questioned, stated that they were only following the store owner’s instructions to impose conditions on buyers and require them to purchase other items if they wanted to buy the cooking oil packets.
“He mentioned that this was to benefit the store as 1 kg cooking oil packets are essential goods,” he said.
Kamalludin stated that a directive for stock declaration under Section 8 of the Control of Supplies Act 1961 has been issued to the premises.
Furthermore, further investigation found that the premises possess a valid retail license for controlled items (CSA) such as sugar, cooking oil, and flour.
