Tuesday, October 21, 2008

WEDNESDAY-22 OCTOBER 2008- ONLY QUALITY PRODUCTS CAN BE SOLD HERE: AZIZAH


Only quality products can be sold here: Azizah


KOTA KINABALU:

All products that are sold in Sabah and Sarawak have to meet the same standard requirements as in Peninsular Malaysia. Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun said that it is important to ensure that Sabalians and Sarawakians are using products with the same quality. “Sabah and Sarawak need the same standards and quality as in Peninsular. There should be no difference ... we also want the same quality products as in Peninsular,” she said at the opening ceremony of the Public Seminar on the Importance of Malaysian Standards (MS) and Its Application at Promenade Hotel here yesterday. Azizah said that the quality of products between East and West Malaysia has to be equal and meet the requirements or standards that have been set. Meanwhile, Malaysian Association of Standards Users President Datuk Marimuthu Nadason said that the Government should set certain standards for products from China so that the quality of imported products is guaranteed. He said that it is because most of the imported products and items from that country do not have good quality. “For instance, toys and electrical items from China do not meet the required standards of our country even though their products are cheap but some of them are not safe to use and are dangerous,” he said. Marimuthu said that the Government should set the Malaysian Standards on imported products from China and not only based on the cheap prices but also the quality. He also advised the public to use their purchasing power and change their lifestyle accordingly with the recent unchanged prices, of items despite decreasing prices of fuel. “The consumers need to know their rights and should be smart in facing the current situation by changing their lifestyles. “For instance the consumers can buy cheaper products from small markets instead of at supermarkets,” he said. Marimuthu added that the increase prices of items and goods is not only because of the hike of fuel prices but also caused by the country’s reliability on imported food. “For example, we still import food from other countries such as India, Thailand, Indonesia and we still import about 70 percent of fish from other countries,” he said. He added that the Government continues to monitor 18 basic afid necessary items and the country’s fuel (petrol and diesel) prices are the lowest compared to other countries in the world. Meanwhile, Director of Strategic Management, Department of Standards Malaysia, Rafaiq Bakri Zakaria, said that the Malaysian Standard (MS) 2015 will be standardised by the Local Government and Housing Ministry. “It is to ensure that our public toilets meet the standards that have been set and done systematically,” he said. Azizah (left) shaking hands with one of the participants of the seminar.