PETALING JAYA: A raid on a snacks shop in Masai, Johor, for “Ghost Smoke” candy today only yielded boxes of with suspicious halal logos.
The state director of the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry, Mohd Hairul Anuar, said an enforcement unit that went to the shop found five boxes containing 150 packets of candy worth RM37.50.
“We confiscated all the five boxes because we doubted the validity of the halal logo. Further investigations will be conducted to ascertain the source of the supplies,“ he said.
The snacks shop was one of 131 premises raided. However, Mohd Hairul told a press conference, the raiding teams did not find any Ghost Smoke candy in retail premises or small hawker stalls.
“We suspect the dealers, especially those near schools in Johor Baru, could have hidden away their supplies of candy after stories about it went viral,“ he said.
Mohd Hairul said investigations into such cases were conducted under the Trade Descriptions act 2011 and any establishment or company found to have such products is liable to a fine of not more than RM250,000. A individual caught dealing in the candy can be fined up to RM100,000 or be jailed for up to three years or both if found guilty.
Mohd Hairul said that based on available information, a box of the Ghost Smoke candy retailed at RM7.50 but students could buy a packet for just 50 sen.
He said the candy was imported by a company based in the Klang Valley.
He said 200 enforcement officers from the ministry were currently deployed to inspect retail and hawkers premises near schools, as well as wholesalers for the Ghost Smoke candy.
He said the public should channel information, especially on the location of the traders who sold these candies, to enable actions to be taken.
Yesterday, it was reported that Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said that the state would ban the sale of the “Ghost Smoke” candy if the federal Health Ministry decides to do so.
He said the state government did not see the benefits of selling these types of candy to children as it seemed like promoting smoking from a young age and it didn’t resonate with the local culture and was also against the government’s efforts to promote healthy living among Malaysians.
