Trader, Bangladeshi admit to selling, buying subsidized cooking oil

A local trader admitted in the Butterworth Sessions Court to selling subsidized one-kilogram packets of cooking oil to a foreign national. Muhammad Anwar Karthiban, 30, pleaded not guilty to the charge before Judge Roslan Hamid.

The prosecution stated that Karthiban sold controlled goods, specifically cooking oil in one-kilogram polybags, at a premises in Lingkaran Cassia Barat, Simpang Ampat, Seberang Perai Selatan. The offense occurred around 5:40 p.m. on July 19. The charge falls under Regulation 2(2) of the Control of Supplies (Prohibition of Sale and Purchase of Controlled Goods) (Cooking Oil) Regulations 2026, punishable under Section 22(1) of the Control of Supplies Act 1961. Conviction could result in a fine up to RM1 million or imprisonment for up to three years, or both.

The court granted Karthiban bail at RM3,000 with one surety and set August 21 for case mention, pending a chemistry report. In a separate proceeding, a Bangladeshi national, Md. Roshidul Malitha, 44, also pleaded guilty to purchasing the subsidized cooking oil, an act prohibited for non-citizens. He was apprehended at the same location around 5 p.m. on the same date.

Malitha faces charges under Regulation 3(2) of the same regulations, also punishable under Section 22(1) of the Act. The penalty for this offense is a fine up to RM1 million or imprisonment for up to two years, or both. Subsequent offenses carry heavier penalties of up to RM2 million or five years' imprisonment. Malitha was granted RM3,000 bail with one surety and must report to the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living office monthly. His case also has a mention date of August 21.