Qu Puteh manager claims sabotage over whitening cream ban

IPOH: A manager from Vida Beauty Sdn Bhd suspects there is an element of sabotage after a product from their popular cosmetics line Qu Puteh was banned by the Health Ministry.

“We are still investigating. We are afraid there is an element of sabotage because Datuk Seri (Hasmiza Othman) is sponsoring Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL) and she is getting famous," said Vida Beauty Sdn Bhd executive manager Afizah Hashim when contacted by The Star.

She added that the cosmetic queen’s celebrity status might have caused people to be jealous of her.

On Friday, Health Ministry director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the Qu Puteh Whitening Pro 9 contained mercury, which isn't allowed to be used in a cosmetic product.

He said the product contained a "high-level" of mercury, based on a sampling done by the ministry's National Pharmaceutical Control Bureau.

Dr Noor Hisham also said that the bureau had received reports of adverse effects from users.

Afizah said for the time being, the company will recall the product from the shelves.

She also added that no one has come to return the product at its headquarters or outlets around Malaysia.

"We have made so many products and there were no cases at all. This is the first time."

A check at one of their outlets in Ipoh showed that the product was not on display and customers only came to buy other products.

A staff in that shop said that they took away the product Friday night and so far, no customers have come forward to return it.

On Friday, Hasmiza, also popularly known as Dr Vida, assured her customers that the other cosmetic products are safe to use.

She said she will withdraw Qu Puteh Whitening Pro 9 cream from the market immediately.

The owner of Vida Beauty Sdn Bhd said the company was in the midst of investigating the Health Ministry's finding, which had declared that the whitening cream contained mercury.

The Health Ministry's announcement came in the wake of Brunei's Health Ministry's announcement that it had banned two Qu Puteh products as they were allegedly found to contain mercury.