FOOD products without Bahasa Malaysia or English labels on their packaging - but with only foreign writings - are being sold openly in public places in Sarawak.
The Sarawak branch of the National Consumer Action Council raised the alarm after discovering these foreign food items being sold in public places in Kuching.
The organisation's Sarawak chairman Wynson Ong said these foreign products were blatantly being sold in retail outlets.
"These foreign food items have no Bahasa Malaysia or English wordings on their wrappings and packaging, only foreign.
"They are packed in attractive wrappings and are meant for the young, including children.
"We (his organisation) made the discoveries in some retail outlets in Kuching following complaints from the public.
"They are worried over the safety and health risks of these food products as there are no labels that can be understood by the locals,” he said.
He said these foreign food products must have entered Sarawak without undergoing the necessary checks by the authorities.
"The sale of such foreign food products without any local label or checks contravene the Food Act 1983 and they are potentially a risk to health," he said in a statement.
Ong called on the domestic trade and health authorities to find out how these foreign products have been entering Sarawak.
He also urged them to carry out extensive inspections in retail outlets throughout Sarawak without delay. - January 4, 2025