Man detained after 230kg of subsidised cooking oil found hidden among rubbish at Melaka restaurant

A Yemeni man in his 50s has been detained in Melaka for suspected unlawful possession of subsidised cooking oil found hidden among rubbish at an Arab food restaurant. The 230kg of packaged oil, worth RM575, was discovered during an Op Tiris 4.0 raid at the restaurant in Bukit Baru. The restaurant, operating since 2014, is suspected of misappropriating subsidized cooking oil for commercial gain after receiving a public complaint and three weeks of intelligence gathering.

The oil was found in several black plastic bags among a pile of dry waste, including old carpets, on the third floor converted into a workers' dormitory. The staircase leading to the third floor had been altered to evade detection, and the controlled goods were found during a 30-minute inspection. The Yemeni man, identified as the restaurant supervisor, was detained under Section 21 of the Control of Supplies Act 1961 to assist the investigation.

Convicted individuals face up to three years in prison or a RM1 million fine, while companies could face up to a RM2 million fine for a first offense. The ministry urges individuals and companies not to manipulate, misappropriate, or deal in controlled goods without valid permits and licenses.