KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 24 — Founder of the Vida Beauty empire Datuk Seri Hasmiza Othman has promised give back full payment to customers who bought two whitening products from her wide beauty range that were recently banned by the Health Ministries in both Malaysia and Brunei.

The cosmetics tycoon popularly known as Datuk Vida said customers who bought Qu Puteh Whitening Pro 9 and Qu Puteh Whitening UV Block could seek the distributor or visit her company directly to claim their money back.

The health ministry has banned Qu Puteh Whitening Pro 9 and Qu Puteh Whitening UV Block for containing harmful levels of mercury. — File pic

“No problem giving back full payment. They can come to our counter,” she told ProjekMMO, the sister publication of Malay Mail Online in Bahasa Malaysia said when contacted yesterday.

Hasmiza pulled the two beauty products from the market after the Health Ministries of the two Southeast Asian countries found they contained harmful levels of mercury.

However, the Kelantan native assured consumers that her other Qu Puteh products were still safe.

“Hopefully consumers won’t fear using Qu Puteh products because the others have passed [safety] standards,” she said.

She claimed no one has yet to complain of any side effect from using her products and voiced confidence that it would not have a lasting impact on her business.

“This is not my main product,” Hasmiza said.

Checks by several dailies around the Klang Valley following the ban have turned up mixed reports.

Some retailers in Shah Alam, Selangor told Malay Mail they have since withdrawn the products from their shelves after learning about the ban on the Internet, even though they have yet to receive official notice from Vida Beauty.

Malay tabloid Kosmo! Ahad reported on its front page today that checks at some shops in Chow Kit show the two controversial whitening products to be still available for sale even after the retailers admitted knowing about the ban.

Those still selling claimed they did so as they had yet to receive official notice to stop sales.

Qu Puteh Whitening Pro 9 is available in the form of a cream for RM39 a tub though the amount was unspecified, and also as a promotional package set at RM108 which includes two bars of whitening soap and a cream that blocks out ultraviolet rays.