Melaka: A total of 12,722 consumers in Melaka have registered for the Cooking Oil Price Stabilisation System (eCOSS) mobile application since its implementation in the state between August and October this year. State Entrepreneur Development, Cooperative and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman Allex Seah Shoo Chin announced that records also showed 1,608 users had downloaded the eCOSS application and successfully purchased subsidised cooking oil packets through the mobile Rahmah MADANI Sales Programme (PJRM) across the state.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, in September, 5,200 users downloaded the application, with the number increasing to 5,914 in October. The use of the eCOSS application for purchasing subsidised cooking oil in Melaka was initially introduced at mobile PJRM locations across the state before being expanded to supermarkets, retail shops, and other sales outlets. The number of users downloading the application is expected to continue rising each month, Seah stated at a supermarket in Cheng during a press briefing.
Seah, speaking after the PJRM Two-Wheel Expedition and the rollout of the eCOSS mobile application event, which was also attended by Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) Melaka branch director Dr Mohd Hazimin Jamaludin, noted that the eCOSS application had been widely implemented in Melaka. However, its use is not yet mandatory for purchasing subsidised packet cooking oil. He encouraged consumers to use the app as it streamlines the purchase process for controlled goods and assists authorities in preventing leakage and smuggling.
He further explained that users who have not downloaded the application or do not own a smartphone can still purchase cooking oil through manual registration using the logbook provided at participating supermarkets. Feedback from traders and industry players has been positive, with many welcoming the initiative for enabling a more systematic distribution of subsidised packet cooking oil, ensuring adequate supply, and improving sales monitoring at their outlets.
Supermarket traders reported that before the introduction of the eCOSS system, up to 1,000 cartons of subsidised cooking oil were sold daily. With the implementation of the application, the figure has stabilised to about 300 cartons per day. In another development, Seah mentioned that the Melaka KPDN has, to date, organised 1,114 PJRM programmes across all 28 state constituencies, carried out in stages and offering subsidies of up to 30 per cent for various kitchen essentials and daily necessities.