Two men, including son of Malaysia opposition leader Hamzah, charged with offences linked to cooking oil
SEREMBAN - Two men, including the son of a former Malaysian home minister, claimed trial at a court to nine charges related to the sale and storage of government subsidised cooking oil, a controlled item in the country.
Faisal Hamzah, 39, the son of opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin, and Azizul Abdul Halim, 55, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them before Judge Mazni Nawi in a Seremban court.
The duo, were former directors of Rimba Merpati, a licensed wholesaler for subsidised cooking oil, were first individually charged with violating the Control of Supplies Regulation for having more than the permitted 50 tonnes of the controlled commodity in their business premises.
As directors, they had committed an offence which was punishable under the Control of Supplies Act.
If found guilty, they face a fine of up to RM1 million (S$301,900) and a jail term of up to three years.
Malaysia faced shortages in cooking oil last year, forcing the authorities to place varying subsidies on the commodity to help control soaring prices amid the rising cost of living.
Faisal’s father, Datuk Seri Hamzah, is the secretary-general of opposition party Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, and had previously served as domestic trade, cooperatives and consumerism minister before being made home minister in the previous administration.
The oil was allegedly found at their premises at an industrial area in Senawang, Negeri Sembilan around 11.15pm on Aug 11 last year.
Rimba Merpati, as a company, was also separately charged with the same offence and the duo, who represented it, again pleaded not guilty.
Both Faisal and Azizul were also charged with providing false information, documents and invoices regarding the amount of subsidised cooking oil they had in their possession and the sale of the commodity to two retailers.
The judge presiding over the case granted bail of RM40,000 for each of the accused. The case was adjourned until June 7. — THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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