Abdul Ghapur Salleh (BN-Kalabakan) took to task the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry for its questionable monitoring of subsidised goods, which he claimed are being smuggled across the Sabah border into neighbouring Indonesia in large quantities.

NONE "Hundreds of millions (of ringgit) in subsidised goods are being taken across the border. (It is) Almost as if here (there) is no monitoring...

"Our supporters told us this, they took pictures, sometimes they even went across to the Indonesian side and saw this," the MP ( above ) told the Dewan Rakyat during this morning's Question Time.

"If one or two canisters of gas (are being smuggled across), maybe (this is) not a concern, but these are in the hundreds of millions."

In his supplementary question, Abdul Ghapur asked if the minister had plans to form a task force with the Royal Malaysian Customs and Excise Department and Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency to tackle the matter more holistically.

In answer to him, Deputy Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Rohani Abdul Karim (BN-Batang Lupar) admitted that there are "leakages that is felt" from the smuggling of subsidy goods, which costs the government RM20 billion last year and will cost the same again this year.

However, she said that there already is a cooperation in place between the Customs Department, that is the lead in smuggling cases, as well as with the MMEA and police, to fight it and the ministry hopes to be able to address the issue soon.

Tanker caught fire while loading in bad weather

NONE Meanwhile, in answer to a supplementary question from Mohd Azmin Ali (PKR-Gombak), the Transport Ministry admitted that the Malaysian International Shipping Corporation (MISC) chemical tanker, which caught fire in July, was conducting loading operations during bad weather.

While, as pointed out by Azmin, that this may go against international shipping guidelines, Deputy Transport Minister Jelaing Mersat said that it does not constitute any offence.

However, he said that MISC told its ship captains to pay more heed to standard operating procedures from now on, though he did not mention in relation to what.

Jelaing also added that investigations into the actual cause of the fire is still ongoing and its results will be out in January 2013, adding that preliminary reports blamed the fire on a leak in the tanker.