Sunday January 6, 2008
A rush for cooking oil
PETALING JAYA: The rush is on to buy cooking oil at retail outlets and hypermarkets here.
With stores already limiting customers to two 5kg bottles of palm oil based cooking oil each, some consumers circumvented the rule by making several trips to the cashier.
A check by The Star found that supplies of palm-based cooking oil were limited at Carrefour Subang Jaya and Giant Kelana Jaya, while the staff at Tesco Mutiara Damansara were seen busily replenishing the shelves.
Beginning tomorrow, each consumer can only buy up to 5kg of cooking oil in a move by the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry to solve the shortage of this essential item.
 |
Panic buying: A businessman stocking up on cooking oil in Kuala Lumpur Saturday as many people are worried about the shortage and the move to limit the sales of cooking oil to 5kg. |
“I am stocking up as there have been rumours of a price hike next week,” he said.
Hawker Ahmad Tarmizi, 39, who bought six bottles of 5kg oil yesterday, said he would bring his whole family to help him buy cooking oil next week due to the rationing.
Meanwhile, hawker Mohd Saidi, 51, said he would not be stocking up on cooking oil but would instead drop by the hypermarket every day as a solution.
“When the oil rationing comes into effect, it will be hard for me to run my business. Coming every day is inconvenient and is a waste of time but I have no choice,” he said.
But not everybody is concerned about the cooking oil shortage, as they believe that supply will be restored soon.
Retiree Ahmad Abu Bakar, 59, said that he was only buying his usual amount of cooking oil and was not worried about the shortage.
Another retiree Zakaria Abdul Rani, 66, said the move to ration cooking oil was unnecessary as it leads to panic buying.
“Malaysians panic easily. Look, almost every trolley here has (bottles of) cooking oil.
“The Government should not control these things and let market forces run their course,” he said.
A financial consultant, who only wanted to be known as Soo, said that the rationing would not affect her as 5kg of cooking oil could last her for quite a while.
Meanwhile retailers in the country will implement the 5kg requirement as directed by the Government.
Malaysian Retailers Association deputy president Abdul Rashid Adam said that, at present, it had not received any complaints from members in implementing the move announced by Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shafie Apdal on Friday.
“Because most of our members are hypermarkets and big supermarkets, we don't think they will face any problem with shortage of cooking oil or implementing the restriction,” he said yesterday.
Related Stories:
Panic buying and hoarding creating artificial shortage
Consumer groups welcome limit on cooking oil sale
Penangites hunt for oil after hearing of shortage
News Poll
- Transsexual staring at big change over 'wrong' photo
- Good Samaritan turns out to be an evil rapist
- Billions siphoned - Sarawak govt steps in
- Retiree drives himself to death
- Fraudsters cash bail money with forged papers
- Former boxer found dead in car
- Birthday bash turns tragic
- WHO: More women getting HIV from their husbands
- Perak MB slams Nik Aziz over call for demise prayer
- Mass retrenchment fears in Sarawak Shell
- Billions siphoned - Sarawak govt steps in
- Transsexual staring at big change over 'wrong' photo
- Mass retrenchment fears in Sarawak Shell
- WHO: More women getting HIV from their husbands
- Retiree drives himself to death
- Many consumers say no to spam SMS
- Most developing countries trust Malaysia's maritime role, says Tee Keat
- Birthday bash turns tragic
- Lonely and seeking love at Saleng Zoo
- Fernandes is Airline CEO of the Year
RSS
