Borneo Post Online (16/02/2025) - (Feb 16): In today’s marketplace, some Malaysian consumers may still be confused by two seemingly similar oils: red palm oil (RPO) and prayer oil (‘minyak sembahyang). While they may share a comparable appearance, these products could not be more different in their fundamental nature and purpose. Ever accidentally turn your stir-fry into a spiritual offering?

Welcome to the wild world of oil identity crisis, where red palm oil and prayer oil are playing an epic game of “spot the difference”. Trust me, you don’t want to be the contestant.

Picture this: You’re in the supermarket, innocent and hungry, eyeing bottles that look suspiciously similar.

One’s a culinary superstar RPO packed with phytonutrients, ready to transform your meal. The other? It’s basically liquid prayer oil – literally designed to light up temples, not your taste buds. Its petroleum-based paraffin, the prayer oil, suited to illuminating sacred spaces than sizzling your stir-fry. Accidentally pour the wrong one, and you’ve just transformed your cooking adventure into an unintended exorcism.

Unless you’re aiming to cook a dish that summons spirits instead of satisfying hunger, read those labels! Because the only thing worse than a bland meal is an accidentally consecrated one. Remember, in the battle of oils, context is king and misuse can turn your kitchen into an unexpected comedy of culinary errors.

Consumers need to be educated on this. Sure, they may look alike on the shelf, but their destinies couldn’t be more different. One’s here to fuel and nourish your body; the other’s here to keep the divine lights glowing. Choose wisely – your stomach will thank you!

And, in the cut-throat and deceitful realm of business, the price difference between cooking palm oil and prayer oil may tempt unscrupulous individuals to engage in unlawful practices like oil adulteration and other misappropriation. Their goal is often to maximise profits, disregarding the impact on public funds allocated for palm cooking oil subsidies, ultimately undermining both consumer interest and taxpayer money.

Two Oils but Worlds Apart

Firstly, let it be known that palm oil is rich in phytonutrients with antioxidant properties that can help with healthy nutrition and disease prevention, such as vitamin E tocotrienols, provitamin A (also known as carotenoids), phytosterols, coenzyme Q10 and many others. Crude palm oil (CPO) or natural palm oil (NPO) derived at the palm oil mills can be processed into various products such as palm stearin (solid fat), palm olein (liquid oil), and many more, including our culinary hero, red palm oil. Red palm oil is a staple in many global kitchens.

Shocking yet fascinating facts: Red palm oil is a nutritional powerhouse, containing 15 times more pro-vitamin A carotenoids than carrots, 44 times more than leafy greens, and an impressive 300 times more than tomatoes. These antioxidants not only boost your health but also elevate your cooking as a functional ingredient and giving dishes a unique flavour and colour.

Now Meet its Doppelgänger: Prayer Oil

The prayer oil is a ceremonial product meant to light up altars and temple lamps, not ignite your culinary ambitions. The prayer oil is used as part of anointing or blessing oil which refers to an act of transforming standard oil into a powerful spiritual symbol and tool.

They are made primarily from petroleum-based paraffin or mineral oil, it often comes with eco-friendly branding and a dash of fragrance – because why not make sacred spaces filled with a little aroma therapy? Although there are many colours, red is preferred by consumers.

This clear, odourless and virtually smokeless oil boasts from high-quality paraffin, supposedly crafted from 100% liquid hydrocarbons. Its high flashpoint earns it the label “combustible,” not “flammable” – a fancy way of saying it’s slow to catch fire but still not dinner-friendly.

Sure, it looks edible, but pouring it on your salad is about as smart as drizzling WD-40 on your veggies. WD-40® refers to a multi-use product that protects against rust and removes grease and grime from most surfaces. Unless your recipe calls for a rust-prevention vinaigrette, keep this oil far, far away from your kitchen! Moral of the story? Always read the labels!

The Grocery Gambit

Picture this: you’re tired, distracted and navigating the grocery aisle. Rows of look-alike bottles stare back at you, daring you to make a mistake. In some large supermarkets, the two oils are often segregated. But in smaller shops or rural markets, where space is limited and organisation is a luxury, they might sit side by side, inviting disaster.

One oil is the secret ingredient to a vibrant meal, while the other is reserved for a sacred spiritual ritual. Mix them up, and you might end up unintentionally ‘baptising’ your chicken curry. Picture yourself frying your morning eggs with prayer oil – it’s a recipe for divine intervention, but probably not the kind you were hoping for!

These mix-ups aren’t as far-fetched as they sound. In fact, they happen more often than you might think.

Thanks to the eerily similar packaging, countless unsuspecting cooks have fallen victim to what I like to call the “great oil illusion.”

Take, for instance, the now-infamous case of someone using prayer oil to cook nasi lemak and tom yam.

The aftermath? A hilariously memorable headline in the local news that captured the chaos: “Terguna Minyak Sembahyang, Masak Tom Yam!”

And while some may chalk it up to a few elderly aunties not being fully aware of the difference, there’s a growing number of young folks who, in their culinary explorations, might find themselves in the same slippery situation. So, before you start cooking, make sure you check your bottle – you don’t want your meals turning into an accidental blessing!

And this reminds me of another similar story of the fritters that weren’t: a mother sends her child to buy flour for a snack, only for the kid to return triumphantly with Indian ceremonial flour. It turns out, it’s better suited for dotting foreheads than deep-frying batter!

Challenges and Solutions to the Slick Situation

At the heart of this oily confusion is poor differentiation in packaging. Bottles look similar, labels are often small or unclear, and warning signs are scarce. Add to that the visual similarities in oil colour, and you’ve got a recipe for confusion. This issue isn’t just inconvenient – it’s potentially dangerous. Ingesting non-edible oils can lead to severe health problems, from gastrointestinal distress to poisoning.

Here’s how we should address this challenge:

1. Unique Bottling for Non-Edible Oils. Prayer oil needs a bottle that screams, “I’m NOT for cooking!” Think bold, square or angular designs, neon caps and labels so distinctive they practically yell at you from the shelf. A clear visual difference is the first line of defense against culinary catastrophes.

Surprisingly, there are companies packaging both edible and non-edible oils under the same roof – a logistical tango that’s just begging for a mix-up. One wrong twist at the bottling line, and your tom yum might end up tasting like a prayer gone sideways. Let’s keep the divine and the dining distinctly separate, shall we?

2. Bold and Multilingual Warning Labels. Labels on prayer oil need to scream: “NOT FOR COOKING” or “BUKAN UNTUK MASAKAN”. There should be consideration that these healthy safety warnings should be displayed prominently in multiple languages so they’re understood by everyone.

3. Segregated Shelving in Stores. Retailers, take note: non-edible oils and edible ones need a clean breakup – no mingling on the shelves! I’ve have spotted supermarkets that skip selling prayer oil altogether, likely to avoid consumer confusion and a courtroom cameo. Kudos – but is that the solution?

A little signage goes a long way here. Imagine clear, multilingual labels that politely but firmly say, “Not for cooking – unless you’re feeding a lamp!” It’s a small step for the store but a giant leap for accident-free kitchens everywhere.

4. Consumer Awareness Campaigns. Education is key, especially in rural areas. Community workshops, posters and short, engaging videos can teach consumers how to tell these oils apart. Visual aids, like side-by-side packaging comparisons, can be particularly effective.

5. Government Oversight and Enforcement. Authorities must enforce stricter labelling laws and conduct regular inspections. Fraudulent practices, such as mixing non-edible oils with subsided cooking oils, should carry hefty fines to deter would-be offenders.

The Slippery Slope of Oil Adulteration

Beyond the confusion between palm oil and prayer oil, a far more alarming issue has crept into the scene: oil adulteration. In Malaysia, subsidised cooking oil offered at a modest price of just RM2.50 per kilogram was originally designed as a lifeline for lower-income households. However, the very affordability that makes it accessible also makes it a prime target for exploitation.

The price difference between subsidised cooking oil and prayer oil creates an opportunity for unscrupulous individuals or criminal syndicates to take advantage. By blending subsidised palm oil with prayer oil, these wrongdoers can increase their profit margins significantly. The result? A cheap, mass-produced blend masquerading as a premium product, deceiving consumers and undermining the true value of both oils.

What was once a sacred product – prayer oil – is now nothing more than a vehicle for greed.

This practice isn’t just theoretical. There are real-world examples where subsidised cooking oil has been illicitly mixed with prayer oil and. These adulterated products are then repackaged and sold at inflated prices. The scheme reveals a dark side to subsidy systems, where profit-driven motives lead to the exploitation of both the system and vulnerable consumers.

Just last month, a Johor man took “holy profits” to a whole new level when he was caught selling repackaged cooking oil under the divine disguise of “prayer oil.” Investigators discovered his unorthodox business model: buying 1 kg cooking oil packets from wholesalers in Malacca and Selangor at RM2.50 each, then combining five packets into a 5kg bottle and reselling it for RM22.70. That’s an RM11 profit per bottle – proof that, for some, miracles come in liquid form… and at a marked-up price!

The Costly Scheme

Under Malaysia’s Cooking Oil Stabilisation Scheme (COSS), the government dishes out a whopping 60,000 tonnes of subsidised cooking oil every month – roughly 60 million 1 kg polybag packets – sold at a bargain price of RM2.50 per packet.

But here’s the catch: that rock-bottom price is practically an open invitation for pilfering. At well below production cost, it creates a goldmine for opportunistic crooks to exploit. Meanwhile, consumers couldn’t care less – after all, it’s cheap, right? So sadly, it’s a vicious cycle of complacency, with many turning a blind eye and taking the deal for granted.

With Malaysia’s population standing at around 34 million, this works out to an ample supply, theoretically providing each person with an average of two packets of oil per month. Perhaps it’s time to ask – how much oil is really necessary to keep the nation frying?

Over 300 appointed packaging companies are responsible for supplying this subsidised oil to the market, ensuring that low-income households have access to affordable cooking essentials. However, as with any system, there are vulnerabilities – vulnerabilities that have been exploited by fraudulent practices, leading to significant costs for society.

In 2023, a parliamentarian revealed that the government spent a staggering RM1.3 billion on cooking oil subsidies – and that’s not even factoring in the hidden costs of running the COSS scheme, like KPDN staff, enforcement teams, repacking etc, all simmering on the side.

Despite the substantial allocation, shortages persist in local markets, raising questions about the effectiveness of the scheme. Allegations have emerged of widespread smuggling and leakages, with subsidised cooking oil being trafficked across the borders to neighbouring countries, where it is sold at a higher price. This illegal trade not only undermines the intent of the subsidy, but also disrupts the supply chain, preventing the oil from reaching those who rely on affordable cooking oil to make ends meet.

Ah, the good old days of industry-ministerial meetings about the COSS when I was at the helm of MPOA.

One engagement with the Honourable Deputy Prime Minister stands out – when it was casually dropped that subsidised cooking oil was being resold on platforms like Shopee. Even juicier? The sellers’ addresses were suspiciously close to the Malaysia-Thailand border. The audacity was almost comical, but unfortunately, it was all too real. While this particular racket may have died down (or vanished into thin air), it’s a glaring reminder of the loopholes that still make room for abuse in the system.

It has previously been revealed in Parliament by a Minister that the funding for the subsidised cooking oil scheme comes from the Windfall Profit Levy imposed only on oil palm growers in Malaysia. What is particularly perplexing, however, is that the financial burden of subsidising cooking oil for the entire population falls solely on the shoulders of oil palm growers, rather than being distributed across all industries benefiting from windfall profits. This raises questions about fairness and the sustainability of such a model, as it places a disproportionate responsibility on one sector of the economy, instead of spreading the financial load more evenly across businesses that profit from extraordinary circumstances.

Fraudulent schemes can be devastating. Taxpayers, who ultimately fund the subsidies, are the ones left footing the bill for a system that fails to deliver aid where it’s most needed. The intention behind subsidised cooking oil is to alleviate the financial strain on families, not to line the pockets of unethical profiteers. The economic consequences of these fraudulent activities are far-reaching. Not only are subsidies diverted from their intended recipients, but public trust in government programmes is eroded. In the face of greed, the very subsidy designed to help the public is being hijacked for private gain, betraying the spirit of the programme.

To combat these abuses, strictest enforcement and stronger vigilance are paramount. We need regulatory measures that prevent the misuse of resources, ensuring that subsidies truly benefit the low-income groups they are intended for. This will restore public confidence in the system and ensure the subsidies serve their intended purpose.

In light of these challenges, the Honourable Minister of Plantation and Commodities has called for a shift in policy, suggesting that the current subsidy system be replaced with a targeted subsidy via direct cash transfers to low-income households using PADU system. This proposal, aimed at curbing leakages more effectively, would ensure that the benefits of government support reach those who truly need it, without the interference of middlemen looking to profit from a system designed to help the disadvantaged.

A Call to Action

The time for change is now if we genuinely want to protect both the integrity of government programmes and the well-being of our most vulnerable communities. It’s all about rethinking distribution models and tightening oversight to make sure subsidies actually reach those who need them and no detours.

It was reported that the government has discussed the issue of abolishing the packet cooking oil subsidy to address the problem of leakages. As a Malaysian citizen, I want to believe that the Malaysia of today has what it takes to tackle this pilferage head-on, with a little more grit and a lot less slack.

But until that change happens, the next time you’re in the oil aisle, remember this: the difference between nasi lemak and disaster is often as thin as a poorly labelled bottle. Seriously – read the labels! By demanding clearer packaging, better education and stricter enforcement, we can protect both our kitchens and our meals.

Double-check those labels, spread the word (make it viral!), and let’s spark a wave of change to end this oily confusion once and for all. After all, no one wants their stir-fry to turn into a séance!

Read more at https://www.theborneopost.com/2025/02/16/oily-confusion-between-palm-oil-and-prayer-oil/