KUALA LUMPUR - THE government will from Tuesday raise the production quota for subsidised cooking oil to 70,000 tonnes a month to address shortages in supply in the market.

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal said this would be an interim measure until the situation stabilised and that the quota would be reverted to 55,000 tonnes a month once things are okay.

'The Malaysian Palm Oil Board will ask manufacturers and packagers of subidised cooking oil to step up production from tomorrow,' he told reporters here on Monday.

He said the step was being taken after Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi ordered an increase in production to address the short supply of the controlled item.

Mr Shafie was confident the crisis would be over within a week or two. -- BERNAMA