New Strait Times, September 14, 2019 @ 11:15pm

AT least two dozen flights were delayed on Aug 21 when a systems disruption affected Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and klia2, including its flight information display system, check-in counters, baggage handling systems and Wi-Fi. This should be a wake-up call for Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB). Based on the current global political climate, there has never been a more important time for airports to seriously reconsider their approach to cybersecurity and risk management. MAHB must oversee threats to the airport system and the management must further discuss it with the board and stakeholders. Risk management is important to gain a competitive advantage.

Through enhanced risk management, the board will gain a better understanding of how threats can impact its strategy. It is vital for MAHB to consider ISO 31000 Risk Management to identify, assess and control risks. Risk management ensures the highest possible level of safety during all airport activities and requires an in-depth risk analysis and incident analysis, as well as linking the two together to facilitate learning from incidents. Risk management will add value to MAHB and ensure continuous improvements. It improves performance, encourages innovation and supports the achievement of MAHB’s objectives. The risk management process involves the systematic application of policies, procedures and practices to the process of communicating and consulting, establishing the context and assessing, treating and monitoring risk. Risk management has played a strong supporting role at the board level.

14 October 2016

Businesses aspiring to build household names for their products and services subscribe to a set of standards or guidelines which help differentiate their product in market and consistently produce a widely expected level of quality (safety, performance, durability, social norms and environmental well-being). Labelling, certification and test results are among the ways business can show compliance with relevant standards.

In 2011, a famous dried meat producer in Malaysia suffered a severe drop in sales when banned and carcinogenic chemicals were purported to be used in their product. According to the Star (19 February 2015) the Ministry of Health ordered the company to take its dried meat slices off the shelves after tests showed dangerous levels of sodium nitrate.

The International Agency for the Research of Cancer (IARC) has reviewed ingested nitrates and nitrites and classified them as probably carcinogenic (cancer causing) to humans and it could pose risks to those with existing heart conditions.

Dried meat is widely consumed during the lunar New Year in Malaysia. But when concerns about the chemical surfaced, there was almost no sale - people just didn’t buy them that year. The owner and management wanted to turn around the company.

Soon products sold by the company were labelled certified ISO 22000:2005 - food safety management system standard showing how safety and health is taken into consideration when the dried meat is made. The bottom line – sales picked up and trust among their customers were rekindled.

26/AUG/2016

For about ten years now there has been an average of one death every two years in Malaysia due to electrocution from water heaters, the most recent one in July this year 2016.


1.    December 2008 – Penang
2.    June 2011 – Selangor
3.    October 2011 – Batu Kawa, Sarawak – 48 yr old man
4.    December 2011 – Penang
5.    September 2013- Kuala Lumpur ; Japanese couple
6.    August 2014 – Johor; 27-year-old pharmacist
7.    July 2016 - Negeri Sembilan; Mass Communication University Student

Despite the number of deaths, the Malaysian regulator has not been forthcoming with the outcome of investigation into the incidents. It makes our work as civil society organisation very difficult to engage the general public on safe use of water heaters. The investigations (if any) are not transparent and we have no way of knowing who or what was responsible for the loss of lives – both citizens and foreigners alike.

Often the scapegoat for the businesses and regulators alike is that consumers favor cheap brands and installations.  But several deaths are associated with well-known brands of electric water heaters.

Energy Commission may have advertised on papers and websites about safety measures for water heaters. But this kind of response to a potentially fatal problem with electric water heaters shows that there is no urgency in getting to the root of the problem and implement long term solutions.

04/JUL/2016

The general public has presumably been on their toes lately due to multiple sources of concerns to their safety when driving their cars. Reports of Honda having no stocks of parts to correct the potentially fatal airbag installation in their fleet and several other brands recalling cars due to the same problems are plaguing the media and causing distress to car owners.

It looks like Malaysians are stuck between a rock and hard place when it comes to airbags – damned if you do and damned if you don’t. We have been down this road many times.
 
What advice do we give drivers of cars with these kinds of airbags? Some say make sure no one sits at the passenger sit next to the driver! What about the driver? Should she or he wear a helmet and a bullet proof vest?

The Malaysian Association of Standards Users monitors consumer product recalls and also complaints. Complaints and recalls related to passenger cars never fail to overwhelm us. Several thousands of car complaints are received annually totaling millions of ringgit of potential loss to consumers.

These complaints are received by the National Consumer Complaints Centre (NCCC). Most complaints are related to new cars not performing as intended and brand owners and service centres alike fail to rectify these problems. In addition to poor quality services consumers in Malaysia put up with unsafe vehicles which are not taken off the road in a timely manner.

Standards Users is utterly disappointed with both regulators and car manufacturers for the failure to protect the general public from unsafe vehicles. We seek to know the one authority in Malaysia who can enforce laws that guarantees only safe vehicles are placed on the roads and if at all safety related recalls are notified, the general public responds accordingly to get their problems fixed promptly without additional problems thereafter.

10/JUL/2016

I have heard of many accidents involving express busses during the last week’s festive break. Every time I feel for the victims of accidents which could have been avoided with stringent maintenance protocol and improved enforcement by public transport regulators such as SPAD.

My staff was in a bus which rammed 10 cars on the north south highway yesterday (Sunday 10 July 2016). Media reports say that there was a brake failure. Video of the bus appearing to be driven fast and ramming into vehicles has gone viral. The reality of how serious is the problem with express bus services in Malaysia has hit home when my staff was involved. Victims can be the sole bread winner of a family, a mother or father with young kids who need the parents. How do we compensate for such losses and what do we say to families who experience loss of a loved one or active and productive citizen of the Malaysian workforce!

Again, as the president of a consumer organisation and who have been actively monitoring public transport quality of service I am truly and utterly disappointed with both the operators and regulators for their inaction in improving safety of the very lives of people who they depend on for their own livelihood and business sustainability.

Regulators such as SPAD MUST come down hard on poor service quality and weed out all errant bus operators though active surveillance and rapid response to complaints. SPAD should also employ means of receiving complaints – if possible real time. Speed records should be captured the minute speed limits are breached?

We hope the UNECE standards for busses are widely enforced especially on anchorage, superstructure and seat belts for passengers? We need clear, transparent and efficient mechanism to compensate passengers who suffer losses in terms of loss of lives, disabilities, loss of working time and delay accordingly?

Close to 2000 people are killed daily globally in road accidents and in Malaysia death rates are 23.6/100000 in 2015 among the highest in Southeast Asia. According to the Minister of Transport statistics showed that 6,706 lives were lost in about 489,600 road accidents in 2015. This is 32 deaths more than the figure recorded in 2014.

We need to put a stop to the unnecessary loss of lives and limbs with more responsible and accountable public transport operators and improved enforcement.

It is my sincere hope that the general public as consumers assert their rights to safer and accountable public transport system by choosing express bus operators with impeccable safety performance. Relevant government agencies should respect consumer rights to fair and transparent information to help consumer choose the right service providers.

Professor Datuk Dr. Marimuthu Nadason
President
Malaysian Association of Standards Users

15/JUL/2016

 

SPAD and other regulators involved in the integrity of the public transport system and public transport vehicle plying Malaysian roads should be held responsible if errant operators are allowed to operate public transportation.

The general public have no way of knowing if a bus driver or an operator of a express bus has five dozen summons before they purchase tickets or use their services. The bus checker on the SPAD website only shows (through number plate registration) if the use of the bus is given the temporary operating license (for the recent festive season) and nothing else. As in the past the public often find out that buses involved in accidents often had unresolved traffic summonses including the drivers.

What is the benefit of suspending operating licenses after the fact? How did over 60 unresolved summonses went unnoticed. Why was the operator allowed to carry out its operation during festive season despite so many traffic violations?

According to SPAD (website), there are more than 100 operators offering express bus services to the public and they come under the jurisdiction of the Commission. SPAD acts as the regulator for these operators, and monitor issues like touting, speeding, reckless driving, route and scheduled adherence.

As we are not regulators we can only give strong voice to the Malaysian public by demanding that the Land and Public Transport Commission (SPAD) pursue compensation to all owners of vehicles involved in the accident last Sunday. SPAD must strengthen monitoring and surveillance of all public transport operators and their vehicles (including school buses and commercial vehicles).

We hope the Performance Monitoring Hub System (PMHS) by SPAD is up and running full scale  very soon to avoid further untoward incidents and loss of lives. Violators should be listed for other agencies such as JPJ and traffic division of PDRM to support surveillance programmes. Highway operators should also lend support for this purpose to convey information of buses under surveillance and have mechanism like in the United States to assess the speed of the buses at several points along the highway.
 
Media report pointed out that the despite suspension the operator involved in the accident last Sunday (10 July 2016) is still operating. This begs the question - who enforces the suspension order and ensures compliance with the order?
 
We hope consumers or the general public at large keep the pressure on express ad commercial vehicle operators to behave responsibly on the road by immediately reporting reckless driving behaviour to SPAD. Voicing out displeasure over services rendered and coming together in solidarity against poor service providers are among the five global responsibilities of consumers. Let’s do it and let’s make regulators and operators carry out their functions to fulfill our rights as consumers to safe and sustainable public transport services for all.

Prof Datuk Dr. Marimuthu Nadason
President
Malaysian Association of Standards Users

15/FEB/2016

 


You would have used one today. In fact is the US 90 billion riders use it annually – the escalator.

Early February this year a poor four year old lost half a foot due to a traumatizing incident on the escalator. When we combed the media report online we discovered at least nine (9) incidents of children injured on escalators in Malaysia – mostly were reported on blogs. We also found seven (7) incidents in Singapore from 2006 – 2016 with five (5) involving children.

Are escalators unsafe to children?

The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission of USCPSC reported back in 2007 there were about 11,000 escalator related injuries. Upon investigation the US CPSC is able to say that most injuries are due to fall, ten (10) percent occur when hands, feet or shoes are trapped in escalators. Soft shoes particularly clogs are most likely to get stuck similarly with ladies shoes.

When we researched online about escalator safety incidents we were nearly traumatized by the kinds of injuries children sustain and that kept us from riding the escalator for a while. But it also sensitized us about the dangers of using escalators – ONLY if we do not mind the safety measures.

As children (usually) under the age of seven are most prone to accidents on escalators, please pay extra attention to their safety when using the escalators. It’s like riding a car or motorcycle or using the bus and crossing the road. They need to be protected when using any mechanical installation.

Always know where the emergency stop button is. The facility’s maintenance team must ensure that the emergency stop button is always in working condition – of course. Adults and children alike must ensure that shoes are tied before getting on an escalator and avoid wearing clogs or soft shoes. Parents need to ensure that children are constantly reminded to use the escalator safely especially placing their foot in the centre and alighting promptly. If you are unsure of where you are do not stop after alighting and wonder. There maybe people behind you who need to alight – promptly and not able to do so with you blocking their way. Building management should not allow use of strollers and prams on escalators. People with strollers or prams and carts – please use the elevators / lift.

However, with many cases of injuries to children, building and mall owners, escalator manufacturers and installers and the relevant government agencies should perpetually educate the general public about safe use of elevators. Advertising space near escalators should probably be reserved for safe escalator use awareness, promotion and education.

Agencies such as the Department of Occupational Safety and Health should make it mandatory for building and escalator brand owners to report incidents – if DOSH has not done that already.
 
Building owners and brand owners who fail to report incidents should be penalized. DOSH and the relevant emergency response agency should investigate the cause and detailed report made available to organisations working on public safety. Investigations into the incidents will shed light and may result in one or more improvements in terms of design, maintenance, review of safety standards and compliance with these standards. Let’s elevate safety standards for the sake of our children.

Prof Datuk Dr. Marimuthu Nadason
President
Malaysian Association of Standards Users

13/AUG/2015

About 22,259,374 million products recalled are those which involve infants and children.
 
The Malaysian Association of Standards Users subscribes to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission alerts. We compiled products recalled from the market from 13th September 2007 till 28th November 2008.

About 22,259,374 million products recalled are those which involve infants and children. There were 7,007,869 million products recalled which are used by consumers in general. The total number of products recalled is 29,267,243 million. . The products recalled were manufactured in 21 different countries. Most of the products recalled were manufactured in China, followed by the United States and there was one product manufactured in Malaysia.

Among the children product recalled there were 168 reports of injuries and 10 deaths. As for general consumer products there were 148 injuries and 1 death.

Standards Users and the Department of Standards Malaysia have pursued the implementation of the toy safety regulation by the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs since 2002. We hear that regulation will be implemented by March 2009. Albeit this is an achievement in terms of child safety in Malaysia, we must take note that there are still many children products which do not carry marks to indicate that they are safe. These products include cribs, baby car seats, baby harness, prams and walkers.

Lack of data on the injuries or hospitalization due to the products mentioned above and the cause of injuries (negligence or unsafe products), thus can not be verified. The products mentioned above are also available at day care centers and nurseries. We must ensure that day care centres and nurseries or kindergardens have a safe environment for children.

We hope that the Ministry of Domestic Trade does not sit on implementing one regulation too long when there are still many products out there which may pose danger to young consumers in Malaysia.

We urge consumers / parents and day care center owners / managers to report any injuries caused by the use of children products to us (or the National Consumer Complaints Centre) in order for us to justify the need for new safety standards or mandatory standards to improve protection of young consumers.

Datuk Marimuthu Nadason
President

23/AUG/2013

EXPRESS / TOUR BUSSES AND ALL COMERCIAL VEHICLES CALL OF STRICT COMPLIANCE WITH UNECE R66, 80 AND 36

Based on accident reports in the MEDIA and on the outcome of accident investigations involving express buses, we observed that there are major accidents involving express busses at least once a year since 2006.

If all the actions trumpeted after the Bukit Gantang tragedy in August, 2007 were seriously implemented, monitored, evaluated and continuously improved, chances of the Dec 26 2009, Dec 20th 2010, Nov 12 2011, the March 5 2012 and the Aug 21 2013 accidents happening could have been minimised, if not totally avoided.

The loss of lives may be even prevented.

Following Bukit Gantang tragedy in August, 2007 authorities decided to make rules governing bus companies and their operations stricter and even requiring bus companies use busses with strong superstructures. This was because more often than not the high number of fatalities and severe injuries are also contributed by weak body structures of the buses.

The Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) has provide the following recommendations (among others) after the incident on 20 Dec 2013 and even in 2007:
•    Full compliance with Safety, Health and the Environment Code of Practice (SHE COP), developed for the transportation sector in 2007.
•    All buses have to comply with good safety standards, such as UNECE's R66, R80 and R36, to be roadworthy. Under United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (or UNECE) specifies standards for safety of vehicles especially the provisions governing the strength of bus superstructure which is often referred to as R66. R80 is the Uniform provisions concerning the approval of seats of large vehicles and of these vehicles with regard to the strength of seats and Anchorages. The R36 is for Construction of Public Service Vehicles.

MIROS points out that drivers will have minimal time for training and re-training, and personal development when they chase for extra trips for increased income and compromising passengers' safety due to fatigue.

Genting Holdings must also take responsibility for this mishap for poor standards of roads heading towards and out off the resort. Our fear expressed in the last position paper submitted about the Dec 20the incident has been founded when the Aug 21 tragedy happened.

Thousands of vehicles ply the road to service the resorts and businesses there. Everyday people put their lives at stake negotiating dangerous bends and curves with almost NO visual of oncoming vehicles. The location of the accident on Aug 21 looks like such a position where oncoming vehicles cannot be seen until they are a very (very) close.

There has been also calls to re-design barriers using wire-rope barrier technology which would cushion vehicle’s impact, and then safely redirects the vehicle.

Who in Malaysia enforces safe road designs and update requirements on safety design when improved technologies are available?

The EU and North America enforces the use 'speed limiter' in commercial vehicles and has proven to be effective in addressing large vehicle accidents and loss of lives.

Standards Users represents the resentment of the general public towards all the relevant agencies, the bus operators, the highway operators and in this case the largest highlands resort operator for not being serious about improving road safety standards, commercial vehicle safety standards and compliance despite hundreds of people being injured and leaving scores dead from previous incidents.

WE DO NOT WANT ANYMORE ENQUIRY – We demand to know the outcome of the investigation and recommendations thereof into the Dec 20 2010 tragedy which claimed 28 lives when an double –decker express bus overturned coming from Cameron Highlands.
•    WHAT WERE THE CAUSES OF THE ACCIDENT AND WHAT WERE THE RECOMMENDATIONS?
•    HOW WERE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS IMPLEMENTED AND AT WHAT STAGES OF IMPLEMENTATION ARE THEY?
•    WHO OR RATHER WHICH AGENCY HAS BEEN TASKED TO OVERSEE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS?

WE ARE NOW demanding a deadline for the implementation of recommendations by MIROS and other technically competent agencies and also non-government agencies and civil societies.

We hope we are not trying to break records for the wrong reasons such as the worst express bus tragedy in Malaysian history – which is what we said after the accident which claimed 22 lives on the fateful Aug 13, 2007 at Bukit Gantang. But then again, we just did – 37 lives this time!!!

We as users of the service now demand the following for express buses:
•    installation of travel data recorder – ‘tamper-proof’’’ , installation of GPS, Mandatory installation of speed limiters
•    Employment of qualified and certified drivers
•    ALL Buses complying with UNECE, R66, R80 and R36 and other safety requirements
•    one sole agency regulating ALL commercial vehicle specifications, road safety (for both private and commercial users), enforcing an improved Road Transport Act 1987 and legal actions based on impartial and expert input from agencies such as MIROS. Licensing, permit and safety enforcement agencies for tour buses and heavy vehicles under one agency .
•    Improved road safety conditions – enhance primary role of the barriers to prevent vehicles from careening off into traffic coming in the opposite direction or into ravines
       o   Improve integrity of road barriers, signs and construction materials
       o   Road design and construction approval based on current traveling requirements and road users. Requirements constantly improved with improved knowledge and technology
•    Accident reports accessible to interested stakeholders including civil society and non-government agencies.
       o   Currently who investigates and compiles reports of previous accidents related to express buses?
       o   Where can we as member of the general public or interested parties obtain access to accident investigations reports?       
                  How do we know if the investigations are pending or closed and solved?   
                     Investigation into root cause/s provides VERY CRUCIAL information to prevent future accidents related to express buses.
                     How do we know if lessons learnt (IF ANY) from previous investigations are implemented
       o   Without proper / in-depth investigations of auto accidents, we cannot:
                   Follow up on recommendations
                   Request for regulatory improvements
                   Request or review and change current standards for bus structures, road conditions and road use behaviours.

Datuk Dr. Marimuthu Nadason
President
Malaysian Association of Standards Users

05/AUG/2013

CONTAMINATION OF WHEY PROTEIN FROM NEW ZEALAND WITH BOTULISM TOXIN

The Malaysian Association of Standards Users and its members are gravely concerned with the contamination of whey protein concentrate with the notorious botulism toxin. The CDC and several other health literatures (and a known fact) states that botulism is a muscle-paralyzing disease caused by a toxin made by a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum. They also classify botulism into (source CDC):


•    Foodborne botulism - occurs when a person ingests pre-formed toxin that leads to illness within a few hours to days. Foodborne botulism is a public health emergency because the contaminated food may still be available to other persons besides the patient.
•    Infant botulism occurs in a small number of susceptible infants each year who harbor C. botulinum in their intestinal tract.
•    Wound botulism occurs when wounds are infected with C. botulinum that secr

About Botulism


CDC also provides information on the symptoms of foodborne botulism such as:
•    symptoms appearing between 6 hours to 10 days (most commonly between 12 and 36 hours) after eating food that contains the toxin.
o    include double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, and muscle weakness that moves down the body, usually affecting the shoulders first, then the upper arms, lower arms, thighs, calves, etc.
o    paralysis of breathing muscles can cause a person to stop breathing and die, unless assistance with breathing (mechanical ventilation) is provided.

Standards Users Concerns

Since this incident affects infant formula besides other products which uses whey protein such as yoghurt, energy drinks, biscuits etc we urge the Food Safety Quality Division to open up several 24 hours helpline than just a media release on its website and newspaper to address public concerns. Our call centers are currently flooded with enquiries and there is no helpline or enough information on the division’s website to address public concern especially parents.

We urge the ministry and the division to publish up to date information either a positive list or negative list of the products involved in this latest incident.

We also urge the division to obtain list of all Fonterra’s customers and also ensure that they do not use or have issued recalls of their products which use whey protein concentrate from Fonterra (similar to what Danone has done). It could be ice-cream or cakes or anything that uses whey protein in their formulation.

We hope that the emergency response system in FSQD and among food and beverage manufacturers and the whole supply chain in Malaysia operates efficiently following lessons learnt and improvement made after the melamine incident in 2008 – which is also associated with Fonterra Group.

Once again, this incident warrants heightened and efficient response and action due to the high risk group involved – namely children, pregnant mothers and also the elderly

Laboratory Capacity

On the same issue, we also urge the upcoming national budget for 2014 – which is expected to be tighter than past year to ensure that there is no compromise in the capacity of the Food Safety Quality Divisions role and tasks to improve food safety in Malaysia. There should be increased allocation to ensure that laboratories and well equipped with both human and materials to handle food surveillance and emergency response situation. We are a net food importing nation and the food import bill keeps swelling making us vulnerable to food safety incidents like this (botulism), melamine and tainted meat and counterfeit products.

If importing food cannot be avoided, our surveillance and emergency response mechanism must be tried and tested to ensure that it is effective all the time.

Food Security

The above does not underestimate the efforts needed to address our dependency on food import such increasing yield of local produce, making them more accessible to Malaysians, increasing agriculture land to produce food for local consumption, anticipating and addressing impacts of climate change and so on.

All those involved in food supply chain from farm to fork (including consumers) need to address issues like wastage running into thousands of tonnes a day, ensuring food safety and making food more accessible and affordable. We look forward to a effective, clear and transparent mechanism to ensure that the above is realized in the very near future rather than later.

Datuk Dr. Marimuthu Nadason
President
Malaysian Association of Standards Users

01/JAN/2013

This day is celebrated worldwide to commemorate the often invisible BUT important role standards play in trade, safety and environmental protection. When you mention the word standards or ISO the first thing that comes to many people's minds is the ISO 9000. But ISO which is AMONG the more popular international standards body – developed not only the ISO 9000 but over 19500 standards!!! – and there are more coming.

Standards are tools which help solve problems or address any issues related to product or services. Until and unless businesses comply with these standards the beneficiaries (i.e consumers and the environment) will not realize the positive aspects and changes standards bring to everyday live.

For example the International Organization for Standardization or ISO got together experts related to toys from different parts of the world to develop a series of International Standards (IS) to guide business on safe production and marketing of toys. Since compliance with all ISO standards is voluntary, many countries especially developing ones did not make compliance with toy standards mandatory.

Then the 2007, massive toy recall happened and turned things around. Toys were discovered to contain lead (a kind of heavy metal) above the limits specified in the IS related to toys. Standard testing methods were used by laboratories in Malaysia to test several toys found several samples containing lead above the limits specified in the IS related to toys. The toys were sent for testing by the Malaysian Association of Standards Users. After a lengthy deliberation over three years the relevant safety standards were used to regulate toys in Malaysia under the newly enacted Toys Safety Regulations 2010.

Regulations which make compliance with standards mandatory are described as technical regulations.

Before IS are referred in a national technical regulations (in Malaysia) it has to be adopted as Malaysian Standards or MS through an agency set up to develop Malaysian Standards and also to implement accreditation functions in Malaysia. This department was established under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) in 1996 after the corporatization of SIRIM. This department is known as the Department of Standards Malaysia (Standards Malaysia). Standards Malaysia was established under the Standards of Malaysia Act 1996.

Standards Malaysia has developed over 6400 standards to date and more than 60% are aligned to International Standards namely ISO. This means that the IS is adopted in totality or amended slightly to meet local requirements such as voltage, temperature and weather.

Malaysia is the member of the ISO and International Electro-technical Commission or IEC through Standards Malaysia. The membership at CODEX is through the Food Safety and Quality Division. Many of the limits set for food products and ingredients in the Food Regulations 1985 are based on or guided by CODEX standards. CODEX established under the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) (under the UN). CODEX Alimentarius develops harmonised international food standards, guidelines and codes of practice to protect the health of the consumers and ensure fair practices in the food trade.

The Energy Commission or ST in Malaysia regulates safety of household electrical appliances and many of the standards used as administrative tools are adoption of the IEC (yet another international standards body but related to electrical and electronic appliances and power generation among others). This includes energy efficiency and energy management system standards – among others.

Technical regulations must be updated as and when new technologies and corresponding test and verification methods are available. When it comes to safety this kind of updates become more important. Among these are use and verification in the field of nanotechnology, eco-labeling and life cycle assessment, renewable energy, smart grids and new food producing and processing technologies.

Standards are developed to guide business improve productivity, product and service performance, safety and environmental performance and also societal considerations such as ethics and integrity (like the new ISO 26000:2010). Compliance with standards on a voluntary basis and being acknowledged for that gives business owners added advantage compared with others in the same sector. However if the acknowledgement and compliance process has shortcomings in terms of cost and process for example, it may deter voluntary compliance among businesses.

The Malaysian Association of Standards Users tested honey samples in two laboratories – both accredited; one in Malaysia and one in Thailand. Whilst both used the same method to test the honey, they yielded different results! Issues and problems with conformity assessment (activities to prove compliance) are mainly associated with confusion in labeling, claims and counterfeits – as far as consumers are concerned. This affects credibility of the conformity assessment activities in many countries.

Based on our experience and experiences among regulators in many countries mandatory compliance with standards is a costly affair – for businesses, regulators and consumers.

Whilst standards and conformity assessment creates positive changes to the economy, society and the environment, we can only realize the benefits if the standards development process is based on good standardization practices and promotes compliance. Conformity assessment needs to be transparent, faster and better. This will allow Malaysian Standards create positive changes to the quality of lives of Malaysians and greatly enhance global competitiveness and environment sustainability of Malaysian products and services.


02/MAR/2009

With Regards to "All out to help disabled students " in the NST on 2nd March 2009,

The Malaysian Association of Standards Users (Standards Users) is very delighted that there are allocation by the Terengganu state government of unlimited funds to help students with disabilities.
It is something many should emulate especially those who get cheap publicity helping people with disabilities by giving them wheel chairs and get the press to tell the world about it. In many cases the wheel chairs are not the correct one for people with mobility problems !!!.

Standards Users has the privilege of working with the Japanese Industrial Standards Committee through our work with the Department of Standards Malaysia. We were truly inspired by the level of access people with disabilities (PWDs) and the elderly enjoy in Japan. They are relatively independent and are able to care for themselves on their own.

PWDs often voice out their desire that they do not want to thrive on charity and become a subject of philanthropy all their lives. They are prepared to work and support themselves and contribute to the economy just as much as the mainstream citizens do.

What is stopping them then?

The answer is the inaccessible environment. The transportation and road systems are not accessible for PWDs at all. Even in metropolitan Kuala Lumpur, we can only see pockets of locations which are accessible to PWDs namely those with vision impairment and some places for those who are wheel chair bound.  Most public buildings even in Kuala Terengganu although subject to the Uniform Building By-Laws or the UBBL are not accessible to PWDs. The By-law 34A of the UBBL has requirements for buildings to comply with the Malaysian Standards or MS 1183 on Specifications for Fire Precautions in the Design and Construction of Buildings Code of Practice for Means of Escape for Disabled People and the MS 1184: 2002 Code of Practice on Access for Disabled Persons to Public Buildings.

But these provisions are rarely if not never complied with. Some buildings are provided with dysfunctional accessibility features such as wheel chair ramps which are too steep, Braille inscriptions on lift floor buttons without audio indications of floors and blocked access to PWD toilets. In some places toilets for PWDs are used as detergent and cleaning appliances storage space.

The current UBBL does not call for compliance with the MS 1331 which is the Code of Practice for Access for Disabled People Outside Buildings. This standard outlines basic requirements for the provision and design of out-door facilities so that they are accessible and usable by disabled people.

We hope that the funds allocated by the Terengganu state government include improvement of accessibility for PWDs. This is a more long term and effective measures to truly help PWDs lead normal lives alongside mainstream society. Compliance to the available Malaysian Standards for accessibility which are already in the UBBL shall be the first step to ensure that PWD are provided with long term solutions rather than short term charity or philanthropy exercises which only benefits them once.

We must remember that going by the United Nations statistics, if 10% of the world populations face some form of disability then Malaysia may have at least 2.7 million PWDs. Therefore it is in the interest of the government’s expenditure to ensure a more long term viable and sustainable solution for PWDs to be able to care for themselves, be independent and earn a decent living but ONLY if they can have access to such privileges.

Datuk Marimuthu Nadason
President

16/MAR/2009

Since 2006, we have witnessed many (massive) product safety scandals beginning with food poisoning in schools, to Salmonella contamination of peanut butter from the United States in 2009.

The Malaysian Association of Standards Users is on the mailing list of various consumer product safety enforcement and regulatory agencies around the world namely the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan and Korea. Unfortunately similar facilities are not provided by relevant government agencies here in Malaysia.

While consumers in the countries mentioned above are constantly notified of products which are unsafe and has been issued recall notices, the relevant government agencies in Malaysia are unable to take similar actions to protect consumers from similarly unsafe products. Most of the products deemed unsafe in these countries are not controlled (directly) under any Acts or Regulations in Malaysia. Among these are lights / bulbs and of course toys.

We have been toying with the toy safety regulations since 2002. Against the backdrop of the 2007 toy safety crisis, the Malaysian Association of Standards Users and the Department of Standards Malaysia pressured the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) to activate work on the shelved toy safety regulation. It has been close to two years now since work re-started on the regulations and the implementation has been postponed time and again. After notifying the World Trade Organisation (WTO) the regulation is at its final stage addressing the customs HS code. We were told by KPDNHEP that the regulation will be implemented end of March 2009.

We are greatly disappointed that considering the importance of this issue and the urgency of the matter it is taking about 2 years to get a safety regulation implemented. (Or 7 years since it was drafted). Regulations need not go to parliament to be endorsed! Even some Acts (which need to be passed in Parliament) get passed faster than this.

Even today Standards Users received an e-mail from both the USCPSC and Health Canada that they have recalled more than 180,000 toys due to choking hazard to children. The US has recalled about 210,000 flip flops (children hawaianna slippers) due to high level of lead.

Perhaps some of these exact models of products are not in sale here BUT there are many similar types of product sold in Malaysia and may pose the same dangers. But who’s testing them? Nothing is being done by any of the authorities since it is NOT under any agencies’ jurisdiction? So no one is taking any action!

BUT that is not true!
 
The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs has overall on the Consumer Protection Act 1999. Under Section 19 of the Act the Minister has the power to make any safety standards mandatory; and under Section 23 the Minister can recall / stop the sales of unsafe products. Since 1999, how many standards have been made mandatory and how many recalls have been made under this ACT? None!.
 
We are still waiting for heaven knows what for actions to be taken on unsafe product under the Act.

The Malaysian Association of Standards Users has sent toys for a series of test and among them are the chemical content. Although in terms of lead content the toys tested are within limits, the toys pose choking and strangulation hazards. Some have sharp edges which can cause injuries to children.

We do not know for sure how many children get injured every year due to unsafe toys. There are no studies NOT even by our local universities and not even after the 2007 toy safety crisis. The US Public Interest Research Group publishes child product safety report every year. They gather data from hospitals and emergency ward and have comprehensive annual reports. We, unfortunately do not have such data. This kind of data will help us to push for regulations and mandatory standards.

We hope people will come forth and report injuries due to toys or any other consumer products for us to have valid records and pursue the complaints / reports with the relevant regulatory agencies for further actions.

Since 2006, we have witnessed many (massive) product safety scandals beginning with food poisoning in schools, to Salmonella contamination of peanut butter from the United States in 2009. Since the 2007 toy safety crisis, the US, Canadian and the European governments have taken steps to improve product safety regulations in their respective countries. The most notable one is the US Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. The string of food safety scandals in the United States have urged the improvement of FDA’s roles and responsibilities, laws and budget allocations.

The FDA has come under scrutiny by consumers and industries in the United States for the recent peanut butter contamination. Reports claim that the FDA did not increase inspection frequency after the visit the Peanut Corporation of America in 2007 and found Salmonella contamination then. The FDA laws, research and recommendations are constantly used as reference by the relevant regulatory agencies in Malaysia, namely the Food Safety and Quality Division (FSQD) and the National Pharmaceuticals Control Board (NPCB).

After multiple problems with food safety in the past year the US, China, Europe and many other countries (both importing and exporting food) have reviewed and made food related regulations stricter.

We are under no pressure to do the same as the ambiguity in interpreting the relevant Act and Regulations provides a lot of flexibilities to both the industry and the regulatory agencies for not doing enough to improve safety of food and other products for Malaysian consumers.

If you can convince them, confuse them!