Syndicate in Malaysia allegedly selling cooking oil as prayer oil busted; 5 detained
Five people were detained after subsidised cooking oil was allegedly repackaged as prayer oil.
PHOTO: Screengrab/YouTube/Vanakkam Malaysia
PUBLISHED ONAugust 20, 2026 7:53 AMBYHelmy Sa'at
Five people aged between 30 and 35 have been detained in Kuala Lumpur after a syndicate allegedly repackaged subsidised cooking oil and sold it as prayer oil.
They comprised three Indian nationals, a Sri Lankan and a Malaysian man who worked as a van driver, Bernama reported on Tuesday (Aug 18).
The authorities seized nine tonnes of cooking oil worth about RM165,000 ($52,000), the New Straits Times (NST) reported.
The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) said two licensed wholesalers and two unlicensed premises were raided, uncovering three interlinked cases.
The operation followed two months of intelligence gathering and supply profiling, reported The Star.
Kuala Lumpur KPDN deputy director Mohd Shahran Mohd Arshad said the syndicate bought one kg packets of subsidised cooking oil from packers and wholesalers before repackaging it into bottles and selling it as prayer oil to retailers in Klang Valley.
NST reported that the syndicate allegedly bought the oil at RM2.45 per litre and resold it for about RM7.50 per litre.
At one of the premises, nearly one tonne of subsidised cooking oil were allegedly processed daily.
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