JOHOR BARU: Popular Tamil radio station Thr.Raaga has stopped broadcasting commercials on a health tonic believed to have caused the death of two children early last month.
THR.fm chief executive officer Abdul Aziz Hamdan said the commercials were taken off the air soon after the incident.
“The advertisers requested it to be taken off the air,” he said in an interview recently.
It was reported that estate worker P. Parvathy's son A. Selvarajan, five, and daughter Geetha, six, died after they had allegedly consumed a health tonic drink.
Abdul Aziz said the station would continue to broadcast commercials of other health tonics as its advertisers had proper certification.
Abdul Aziz said the station had its own set of guidelines, including getting approval or certification letters from the Health Ministry, before products could be advertised.
“We are a business organisation and as long as the documentation is in order, I do not see any problem in people advertising with us,” he said.
He said the station would not hesitate to turn down advertisers who failed to meet the guidelines.
On reports that Parvathy was probably influenced by the radio station to buy the health drink for her children, Abdul Aziz said the advertisement was also aired in several other Tamil programmes and in the print media over the past few months.
On the station’s offer to help Parvathy, 25, by giving her a job at its premises in Kuala Lumpur and to put her remaining two children through school, Abdul Aziz said:
“So far I have not got any answer from her despite leaving her three contact numbers. But I am still hopeful that she will take up the offer.”
He said the station would also find her accommodation there.
He said this was part of the station’s contribution to the community, especially the Indians, who had helped to make its Tamil programmes popular.
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