MELAKA: A cooking oil supplier was fined RM20,000 by the Ayer Keroh Sessions Court for selling cooking oil in excess of the permitted quantity to a retail company three years ago.
Judge Azaraorni Abd Rahman imposed the fine after Lesong Food Industries Sdn Bhd, represented by its director Datuk Dr Zaini Md Taha, pleaded guilty to the amended charge.
According to the charge, the company was found to have sold 240 units of 5-kilogramme (kg) cooking oil (totaling 1,200 kgs) at its premises in Bandar Jasin Bestari, Melaka, on Aug 13, 2021. This exceeded the allowed quantity in the retail licence of Era Prestij Resources Sdn Bhd.
The offence is punishable under the Supply Control Act, which carries a penalty of up to RM2 million if convicted, with a fine of up to RM5 million for subsequent offences.
Earlier the defendant, who was unrepresented, requested a fine of RM10,000, citing financial difficulties and health issues after having to close his company.
However, prosecutors from the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) argued for an appropriate fine, noting that the offence involved controlled goods that could disrupt the oil supply in the market and open avenues for malpractice.
Investigations revealed that Lesong Food Industries sold the excess oil to Era Prestij Resources, which had already been fined for exceeding the allowed stock of cooking oil. The transaction of RM6,648 was also found to match the invoice, along with a Delivery Order document for the shipment.
