RECENTLY MCA President Wee Ka Siong criticised the government’s mandate for food premise operators to use RM70 commercial liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders, arguing it raises food prices and burdens consumers.
Meanwhile, Domestic Trade Minister Armizan Mohd Ali rebuked Wee, clarifying that only large-scale businesses need permits for using over 42kg of LPG under 2021 regulations, enacted when Wee was a minister.
Armizan stressed the rules target subsidy leakages, not small traders, urging Wee to verify the facts.
According to Wee, the mandate requiring food premise operators to use commercial 14kg LPG cylinders priced at RM70, was a 170% increase from the subsidised RM26 cylinders.
He argued this would raise food prices, impacting consumers’ cost of living, as higher gas costs would increase the price of essentials like rice and noodles.
Wee questioned why Malaysia, the world’s fifth-largest LPG exporter, cannot subsidise small traders, especially when 2024 LPG subsidies reportedly reached RM3.4 bil.
“What’s the use of billions in investments if we can’t afford to subsidise gas, said to cost RM3.4 bil in 2024? What’s the point of raising the Sales and Service Tax from six to eight percent if the revenue isn’t returned to the people through subsidies?” Wee said.
He also challenged the need for permits for traders using over 42kg of LPG monthly, warning that non-compliance could lead to seizures under Ops Gasak.
However, Domestic Trade Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali clarified that only large-scale premises like hotels and industrial kitchens must use commercial LPG.
He criticised Wee for what he calls false claims that the government introduced new regulations or abolished subsidies for LPG cylinders through Ops Gasak.
Armizan said that the enforcement, effective from May 1 to October 31, targets subsidy leakages under existing laws, including the Supply Control (Amendment) Regulations 2021, which were enacted on October 15, 2021, when Wee was a Cabinet minister.
According to Armizan, the regulation was established and came into effect on October 15, 2021, under the previous government administration.
Armizan suggested Wee overlook these rules, possibly due to inadequate advice, and urged him to review them.
He countered that the rules aim to curb illegal activities like decanting and smuggling, not ban traders from using subsidised LPG. —June 1, 2025
Main image: Bernama
