PETALING JAYA: The government should not be too quick to blame the public's panic-buying as the cause of cooking oil shortage since last month, say consumer groups.
They were responding to a statement by Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Deputy Minister Datuk Tan Lian Hoe that panic-buying was the main factor for the shortage.
Consumers Association of Subang and Shah Alam president Jacob George said this was not the first time consumers were experiencing shortage in essential items.
"The government cannot just blame the consumers. Why do people panic-buy in the first place? Because of fear that there is a shortage," he said.
"There are 'hidden black hands' who are manipulating the market through hoarding or smuggling the cooking oil across borders."
George urged the government to investigate and penalise the perpetrators.
"The government should issue warnings to stakeholders in the supply chain, especially wholesalers or repackagers, whenever any irregularities in supply is detected."
National Consumer Complaints Centre chief executive officer Muhammad Sha’ani Abdullah said the government should not blame consumers for shortages.
"Panic-buying and even hoarding probably play a small part in the current cooking oil shortage," he said, adding he believed the cause was due to the delayed subsidy payment to producers and manufacturers, as this affected the production of sufficient cooking oil supplies.
"The government subsidises domestic use cooking oil of 5kg and below. The problem is that in the market now, only 1kg, 3kg and 5kg packets are widely available. This means commercial businesses and industries also use the subsidised cooking oil. Why is there no enforcement on this?"
However, Malaysian Islamic Consumers Association executive secretary Datuk Nadzim Johan said the cooking oil shortage was due to panic-buying and hoarding by wholesalers due to expectations of a price hike.
"Consumers need to be calm as panic-buying has a multiplier effect that drastically reduces supply."
Yesterday, it was reported the government would raise the supply of cooking oil in the market by 20 per cent, or about 14,000 tonnes this month, due to the anticipated demand for Chinese New Year next month.
Tan had said the additional supply would be available throughout the country next week and the total January supply of cooking oil to tip 84,000 tonnes.
She had said the ministry was investigating four repackagers suspected of attempting to sell cooking oil abroad.
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