Contact lenses worth over RM700,000 seized from company operating without licence

AZHAR MAHFOF/The Star

CYBERJAYA: A company selling unregistered contact lenses, which continued to operate even though its licence was revoked in November 2023, has persisted in selling the potentially unsafe ocular devices.

Medical Device Authority (MDA) chief executive Dr Muralitharan Paramasua said a raid was first conducted at the company premises on Jalan Gelugor, Kuala Lumpur in November 2023, together with the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry.

He said in the second raid on May 20, a team of 19 MDA officers confiscated a total of 101,186 unlabelled contact lenses, 42,098 contact lenses of assorted brands, 276 branded label stickers and 25 related documents, with an estimated value of RM700,000.

Muralitharan said investigations revealed the contact lenses were imported from South Korea.

He warned that the use of unregistered products could lead to effects such as swollen eyes or even cause corneal injury.

"The unregistered contact lenses sold by this company are sold at RM9 or RM10, which is much lower than the market price.

"However, its safety and authenticity are dubious because they are not registered with the MDA," he said at a press conference on Friday (May 24).

He urged those who have purchased and used these unregistered products to file complaints with the MDA.

The company is suspected of violating Section 25 of the Medical Device Act by continuing to distribute medical devices on the market without a licence. It faces a maximum RM200,000 fine, or two years' jail, or both.