KUALA PENYU: Consumers may soon be able to use their MyKad to purchase subsidised 1kg packet cooking oil following a proposal by the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) as part of efforts to strengthen the targeted subsidy mechanism and curb leakages.
Its Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said it would be implemented through the Enhanced Cooking Oil Stabilisation Scheme (eCOSS) by using the new version of MyKad equipped with QR code.
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He said the proposal is part of KPDN’s ongoing efforts to improve the implementation of the Cooking Oil Stabilisation Scheme (COSS), which provides subsidies for 1kg packet cooking oil.
“We are currently waiting for the National Registration Department (NRD) to issue the new MyKad with QR code.
“This means consumers will have the option of either using their mobile phones to scan the QR code or their MyKad when purchasing subsidised cooking oil at any retail outlets or supermarkets,” he said after launching the Madani Adopted Village Project of Kg Selakong in Menumbok, here, Saturday.
Also present were Assistant Minister of Works and Utilities cum Kuala Penyu Assemblyman Datuk Limus Jury and senior officials.
Armizan said the proposal was among a series of improvements undertaken by KPDN following recommendations by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in its Report No. 27 of 2026 on the management of price control and cooking oil subsidies.
He said the MyKad-based purchasing mechanism would enable transaction records to be captured digitally, allowing the Government to better monitor the distribution of subsidised cooking oil and ensure it reaches its intended recipients.
Armizan welcomed the PAC’s endorsement on the systems and its recommendation for the eCOSS system’s full implementation to be expedited.
“The PAC’s findings are in line with the improvements we have already initiated. Their support for eCOSS demonstrates the importance of accelerating these reforms,” he said.
Armizan stressed that the Government would continue implementing subsidy rationalisation measures in phases to ensure vulnerable groups are not adversely affected.
“Our ultimate goal is to ensure that the substantial allocation provided for subsidised cooking oil truly benefits the rakyat and reaches those who need it most,” he said.
Meanwhile, Armizan emphasised that the Federal Government remains open to making improvements to the subsidy implementation in Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan, which began on July 1, guided by three main pillars.
“Any necessary mechanism must first take into account the people’s cost factor, second is the leakage risk management factor, and third is certainly the Government’s fiscal space. These three factors are highly important for us to consider,” he said.
He said to strengthen diesel subsidy delivery operations in the interior areas of the two states, state-level agencies will be mobilised to assist with registration and to verify eligible target groups so that no one is left out.
