KUALA LUMPUR: Amendments to the Control of Supplies (Amendment) Act 2021 (Act 122) was never about regulating the use of subsidised liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
The MCA President, who referred to the 2022 parliamentary Hansards, said the amendments only gave wider enforcement powers to Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry officers.
He said the amendments were debated by numerous MPs before it was passed in Parliament in March 2022.
"Not a single MP mentioned the permit for three subsidised LPG gas cylinders and the use of commercial LPG for restaurants," Dr Wee said in a video posted on social media on Sunday (June 8).
He said when then-domestic trade and cost of living minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi gave a Parliament reply in March 2022, he never mentioned regulations about subsidised gas cylinders.
"Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, you were not at the Dewan Rakyat then but you could have checked the Hansard – do your homework before accusing me," he said.
The Control of Supplies (Amendment) Act, although introduced by the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry in November 2021, was only passed in Parliament in March 2022.
Armizan, who is Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister, had claimed that the law where eateries are required to use 14kg commercial LPG cylinders, was passed when Dr Wee was part of the Cabinet in 2021.
"Maybe the regulations on the use of gas in subsidised gas cylinders not exceeding 42kg was an internal ministerial order, or it could be an instruction from the administration," he said.
Dr Wee added that the law was never enforced until the first Pakatan Harapan government in 2019.
"During early 2019, the domestic trade and consumer affairs minister issued orders making it compulsory for restaurants, coffee shops and hawkers to use commercial LPG.
"But Chong Chieng Jen, who was the deputy minister then, announced a postponement of that policy following concerns food prices may go up.
"And now, they are trying to enforce it again under the Madani government in 2025," he said.
Dr Wee also demanded an apology from Armizan.
"You should apologise to me for your carelessness," he said, adding he was acting as "the spokesman of the people".
On Thursday (June 5), Armizan said small and micro-scale food and beverage operators would be exempt from enforcement under the Ops Gasak.
Ops Gasak, which began on May 1 until Oct 31, is meant to curb illegal activities such as decanting (transferring gas from subsidised LPG cylinders to non-subsidised ones), smuggling and the misuse of subsidised LPG by medium and large-scale industrial sectors.
Dr Wee said Ops Gasak should have focused on large-scale operations and at borders – not petty traders and hawkers.
The Ayer Hitam MP also said consumers would ultimately bear the cost of eateries using LPG for commercial use, which costs 170% more than subsidised gas for domestic purposes.
