Poisons easily available here

Photo: ONG SOON HIN/The Star

THE Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) calls on the Pesti-cides Board to immediately crack down on the sale of illegal pesticides in Malaysia. Recently, two young boys lost their lives from eating keropok laced with illegal rat poison (“Poisoned crackers: Second victim dies in hospital”, The Star, July 12; online at tinyurl.com/2p9b4k5n). According to the Health Ministry’s investigation, rat poison is believed to have been placed inside the packet of crackers the two brothers ate.

Surveys conducted by CAP over the years have shown that illegal pesticides are openly sold at markets in Penang and Baling, Kedah. These pesticides do not disclose their active chemicals and lack adequate instructions for handling, use, or storage – a violation of the International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Manage-ment and Pesticides Act 1974.