KUALA LUMPUR, March 28 — Those who place misleading advertisements on slimming products and services may be slapped with a hefty fine of up to RM50,000.
Advertisements of weight loss products will only be allowed if they comply with new guidelines issued on January 25 by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC)'s independent body Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (CMCF), The Star reported today.
CMCF executive director Mohd Mustaffa Fazil Mohd Abdan said products such as vitamins are merely intended as supplements to a consumer's food intake.
"But the product itself is a vitamin and not a weight loss product, so one cannot market it as such," he was quoted saying.
If these products are categorised as medicine, their advertisements need to be given the nod by the Ministry of Health's Medicine Advertisement Board, he said.
He said consumers could refer to CMCF's guidelines and complain to CMCF about misleading online advertisements on slimming.
The CMCF is responsible for enforcing the Communications and Multimedia Content Code and drew up the guidelines on online slimming advertisements.
