CAP calls for crackdown on sale of illegal pesticides

THE Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) has called for a crackdown on the sale of illegal pesticides in the country. 

CAP in a statement urged the Pesticides Board to immediately ban the sale of illegal pesticides following the death of two boys in Kedah after consuming snacks laced with illegal rat poison from China. 

“Surveys conducted by CAP over the years had shown that illegal pesticides are openly being sold in markets in Penang and Baling, Kedah.  

“These pesticides which are mostly from China do not disclose the active chemicals present on the label. They also lack adequate descriptions or instructions for handling, use, or storage – a violation of the International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management and Pesticides Act 1974. 

“Illegal pesticides which are sold domestically are distributed from northern states such as Kedah, Penang, and Kelantan, or imported from countries like Vietnam, China, and Thailand, despite being banned in some of these origin countries,” CAP said. 

The consumer body said in a survey conducted a few years ago in Kerpan, Sanglang, Pendang and Sik in Kedah, they found Endosulfan, a banned and easily available pesticide. 

Endosulfan is banned in more than 60 countries. Due to its high toxicity and high potential for bioaccumulation and environmental contamination, a global ban on the use and manufacture of endosulfan is being considered under the Stockholm Convention, the group said. 

In the latest case, a 13-year-old boy from Chukai, Terengganu was hospitalised after allegedly eating poisoned biscuits that he found outside a farm near his home. 

Kemaman district police chief Hanyan Ramlan said the boy passed the farm on his way home to Kampung Air Putih. 

He said the boy saw the biscuits on a fence and ate them, after which he collapsed. 

The teenager is currently in stable condition and the case is being investigated under Section 31(1) of the Child Act 2001 for abandoning, neglecting, or exposing a child to danger. 

Recently in Kulim, brothers Muhammad Luth Syauqi, two, and Muhammad Akil Syauqi Nur Sufyan, three, died after consuming crackers believed to be laced with rat poison. 

The snacks, which were hung on a garden fence, were said to be intended for monkeys. 

CAP urged the Pesticide Board to crack down on the sale of illegal pesticides in the country by enforcing the Pesticide Act 1974. 

It added that farmers should be educated on the health and environmental effects of pesticides. 

“Provide safer means to eliminate pests such as the rearing of ducks in paddy fields. Agroecology, or farming which replaces toxic chemicals with practices that are in harmony with nature should be recognised, prioritised, and supported as ‘good agricultural practice’. 

“Agroecology has been shown to result in agricultural produce that is safer, not just for local consumers and export markets, but also for farmers and their children who have the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment,” CAP said. 

CAP said at the moment, endosulfan could be bought from shops selling agricultural chemicals.  

“Even though it is not displayed in the shops, it is available upon request. A litre of the pesticide is sold for RM32 in an unlabelled bottle.” – July 15, 2024.