ISKANDAR PUTERI: An in-depth investigation has been conducted by the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry into the misappropriation of RM10bil worth of diesel last year, says Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub (pic).
He said the investigation and enforcement operation by his ministry - dubbed Ops Terjah - has been actively checking on the supply and prices of essential items nationwide.
“This has been an ongoing operation conducted by the ministry, and since my appointment as its minister, we have strengthened this effort in the hope that we can eradicate the issues of diesel misappropriation," said Salahuddin.
He added that the operation was led by two ministry officials; secretary-general Datuk Azman Mohd Yusof and enforcement director Datuk Azman Adam and said that personnel have gone down to every important location to conduct surveillance and check logistics.
He said this when met by reporters after the Back to School Aid handing-over ceremony at Dewan Taman Bukit Indah here on Saturday (Feb 25).
The investigations and enforcement are focused in rural areas especially in Sabah and Sarawak and at fishermen's jetties, he added.
“We believe that misappropriation had been happening in these locations.
“For fishermen, we need to work together with the Agriculture and Food Industries Ministry (Mafi) as they have a diesel aid programme under the Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia (LKIM),” he explained.
The Pulai MP added that a total of 2,100 enforcement officers and personnel under the ministry have been mobilised to conduct a continuous operation.
During the tabling of Budget 2023 in Parliament on Friday (Feb 24), Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim informed that around RM10bil worth of diesel was misappropriated last year.
He added that, in addition to the leakage in diesel subsidies, there were others amounting to RM3bil in wastage, loss of public funds, and inefficient payments, as revealed by the Auditor-General's Reports in 2020 and 2021.
