Floor cleaners with orang utan label confiscated
by Lian Cheng, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on May 14, 2015, Thursday
A KPDNKK officer confiscating floor cleaner with the picture of an orang utan and words ‘Buy oil palm free products to save orang utans’ on their labels.
KUCHING: Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism (KPDNKK) officers yesterday confiscated all floor cleaners with the picture of an orang utan and words ‘Buy oil palm free products to save orang utans’ on their labels from a supermarket here.
Three KPDNKK officers led by enforcement officer Mohd Fikri Lai Abdullah removed the product from the supermarket following a request by Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB).
According to a statement issued by Fikri, no action would be taken against the supermarket concerned because the Selangor company that had imported the product from Australia was a
law-abiding one.
law-abiding one.
However, the owner of the premises was asked to ensure that all products with anti-palm oil elements were removed immediately from the shelves and not to be displayed for sale henceforth.
“The product has just entered the market a week ago. This is one of the outlets in Sabah and Sarawak, Pulau Pinang, Johor, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor selling the product,” said Fikri.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Land Development Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing expressed his displeasure over the new tactics engaged by some foreign forces to attack the nation’s and state’s oil palm industry in what was believed to be more of business rivalry rather than environmental issues.
He said some Australian firms were reported to be using oil palm free label to promote their products even though they had nothing to do with oil.
“It is very irresponsible of them to use unfriendly labelling against crude palm oil on the pretext of trying to protect the orang utan.
“They know nothing about orang utans. They have never seen live orang utans except through television but here we are doing the best we can to protect the animals, so please don’t teach ducks how to swim,” said Masing.
He further called on any outlet selling products with such labels to remove them from their shelves, saying it was unethical for Malaysians to sabotage one of the most profitable industries in their own country just to make a quick profit.
Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2015/05/14/floor-cleaners-with-orang-utan-label-confiscated/#ixzz3a5Raq2KK
