KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 12 — The Health Ministry is working on a new law that will impose longer jail terms and increase tenfold the fines against those convicted of adulterating food and beverages.
The move is in a bid to curb the growth of spurious “medicinal” products touted to improve stamina, virility and other issues related to men’s health, according to a report in national daily New Straits Times (NST) today.
“With the new Bill, we hope the maximum fine will increase tenfold. For offences mentioned in the Poison Act, the penalty of RM3,000 will be increased to RM30,000, while for the Sale of Drugs Act, it will be RM25,000.
“Hopefully, everything turns out for the best. The priority here is for the law to be a deterrent and stop these unethical activities,” the ministry’s Pharmaceutical Services Division deputy director Mazlan Ismail was quoted saying.
He added that the Health Ministry is facing objections from the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) to raise the minimum fine, which may delay its tabling in Parliament.
According to Mazlan, the reason given by the AGC is so that judges will have more leeway in deciding the punishment.
He said the new law would be merged with the Poison Act, Sale of Drugs Act 1952 and Registration of Pharmacist Act 1951.
He noted that current court cases dealing with the adulteration of food products did little to deter future offenders who would only be fined a paltry RM300 by the court.
“We acknowledge that these penalties are far too low and we are drafting a new law.
“Hopefully with this law, we can address these loopholes.”
NST reported that among adulterated beverages are Kopi Kuat — coffee laced with sildenafil, an active ingredient in Viagra — which were previously banned but continued to have a strong market presence.
The other famous “brand names” that have been banned are Kopi Panggung Al-Ambiak and Kopi Jantan Tradisional, which have tested positive for sildenafil.
According to Mazlan, these beverages were popular among those suffering from erectile dysfunction.
