Kota Kinabalu: A shop owner was fined a total of RM4,000 by the Sessions Court here on two counts of having unlicensed poison for sale and keeping unregistered products at his premises in Ranau.
Denny Cheng pleaded guilty before Sessions Court Judge Hurman Hussain to both charges.
He was fined RM2,000 or four months’ jail on each offence.
On the first charge, Denny was found in possession of 12 bottles of 60ml ‘Itin Vet Oral Solution’ for sale at 11:05 a.m. on June 13, 2024, at Pet Smart in Ranau town.
The charges stated the bottles contained a colourless liquid with Ivermectin, a poison listed under the First Schedule of the Poisons Act 1952.
The second charge stated that he had 12 bottles of Itin Vet Oral Solution 60ml and two boxes of Ulcer Aid Gel Solution 15ml, all of which were unregistered products, at the same time and place.
Pharmacy Prosecuting Officer Oong Chi San informed the court that the two product types seized, valued at about RM420, were confirmed by the National
Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency to be unregistered, meaning their quality and safety had not been assessed by the Drug Control Authority.
Oong said the presence of Ivermectin, an antiparasitic active ingredient that is not approved for general public use and requires medical supervision, significantly heightened the risk posed to consumers.
The officer also cited a decided case, which reaffirmed that Ivermectin is not authorised for Covid-19 treatment.
Oong urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence, saying the presence of Ivermectin in an unregistered product not only endangers consumers directly but aggravates the seriousness of Cheng’s conduct as a threat to public safety.
In a related case, Denny’s shop assistant was fined RM1,500 or one month’s jail for selling poison without a licence.
Erniwaty Hakim pleaded guilty to selling a bottle of Itin Vet Oral Solution 60ml containing Ivermectin to a customer one Norhidayu Soon Gin Yee, at the same outlet, date and time.
She was not licensed under the Poisons Act 1952 to sell poison.
The offence, under Section 16(1) of the Poisons Act and punishable under Section 16(5) and Section 32(2), carries a fine of up to RM50,000 or imprisonment of up to five years, or both, or, if the act is found to be wilful or negligent and dangerous to human life, a fine of up to RM200,000 or up to 10 years’ jail, or both, on conviction.
