SOME unscrupulous traders are allegedly selling subsidised cooking oil as prayer oil to the Hindu devotees, who without realising it, are using it in temples and shrines.
Penang Hindu Association (PHA) president Datuk P. Murugiah said that the association was made privy to this matter by the devotees themselves.
It is a scam of the highest order by preying on places of worship and the incense needed for praying, said Murugiah.
"We are therefore raising concerns about the effectiveness of enforcement in preventing the misuse of subsidised cooking oil. In a shocking inside information received by PHA from confidants within retail outlets, a high number of the prayer oil used by Hindus, and the temples, was actually subsidised cooking oil."
The government has implemented supplying subsidised cooking oil at RM2.50 per kg to ensure affordability for low-income households, particularly those under the B40 group, Murugiah said in a statement.
However, this initiative has been abused by some unscrupulous suppliers who profit from rebranding the cooking oil as prayer oil and selling them for hefty profits.
"The profits earned can go as high as 200%."
In a recent price survey carried out by PHA, a particular prayer oil brand is listed at RM8.20 per litre, which is a mind-blowing 228% profit from the actual subsidised price.
Some brands of prayer oil cost even more.
This issue is not new as two years ago, officials from the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living caught a trader refilling subsidised cooking oil in different bottles and selling them as prayer oil.
Some suppliers would even resort to using colour dyes for the oils in order to distract the authorities.
PHA is now appealing to the enforcement officials to step-up on monitoring this issue and conduct regular checks on the source and price of the prayer oils being sold at retail outlets.
PHA also hopes that the Cooking Oil Price Stabilization Scheme System, would be fully implemented nationwide in order to manage the supply and distribution of subsidised cooking oil from refineries to retailers without any loopholes for misuse.
Additionally, PHA urged the ministry to instruct the prayer oil traders to clearly state on the labels the source of the prayer oil and its retail price, said Murugiah.
The authorities should take immediately action against the prayer oil traders who use subsidised cooking oil at an excessive price.
This is in line with the Labelling Act which states that it is an offence to have misleading labels without specific information to ensure fairness and consumer protection, said the former consumerism rights advocate. - June 28, 2025
