By Dr Rahim Said
So, they finally caught him — “Datuk John,” 28 years old, allegedly running a subsidised cooking oil empire from Kota Bharu to Thailand. Six charges are expected in court.
A Vellfire, a couple of lorries, even a four-wheel drive — this wasn’t some back-alley operation. It was logistics, strategy, and supply chain management. If it weren’t criminal, the man would deserve a spot teaching MBAs at places like Harvard.
But let’s not kid ourselves. For every “Datuk John” who gets paraded in the press, there are a dozen “Datuk This” and “Datuk That” quietly running their own private buffets on taxpayers’ money.
Malaysia’s subsidy system has become a carnival: free tickets for the rakyat, but the VIP lounge reserved for opportunists who know the right jetties, the right checkpoints, and the right enforcement officers.
Then, there are enforcement officers. Two of them allegedly played chauffeur in this saga, driving the subsidised goods straight through the checkpoint. Nothing says “smooth operations” quite like having the gatekeepers open the gate for you.
Here’s the real problem, subsidies were designed to make sure every Malaysian household could fry their ikan kembung without going bankrupt. Instead, they’ve become jet fuel for syndicates exporting “liquid gold” to our neighbours for hefty markups. The rakyat gets a plastic packet or two. The smugglers get Toyota Vellfires.
So yes, bravo for catching one man. But if the system still leaks like a sieve, the show goes on. For every one busted “Datuk John,” ten more are quietly waiting their turn at the buffet line. Arrests make headlines. Reforms? Those don’t trend as easily.
In Malaysia, crime doesn’t just pay — it drives a luxury MPV.
(The views expressed here are entirely those of the writer)
WE