14 new cases of alcohol poisoning in country

KUALA LUMPUR: New cases of suspected methanol poisoning have now been reported in Perak, said the Health Ministry.

Perak has five new cases reported as at noon yesterday, while Selangor reported seven new cases and Kuala Lumpur reported two, said Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

In total, the Health Ministry received 69 notifications of suspected methanol poisoning from government health facilities from Sept 15 to noon yesterday. Besides the five cases from Perak, Selangor has a total of 55 cases and Kuala Lumpur, nine.

The number of deaths remained at 21, with 16 from Selangor, three from Kuala Lumpur and two from Perak.

“The ministry has received confirmed blood test results of methanol poisoning for eight cases in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.

“However, the sample test results from suspected cases in Perak have not been confirmed,” said Dr Noor Hisham in a statement yesterday.

Of the 69 cases, 12 involved Malaysians (six deaths), 27 Nepalese (five deaths), 19 Myanmar (eight deaths), nine Bangladeshis (one death), one Indonesian (no deaths) and one death of an unknown nationality, he said.

The ministry, through the Food Safety and Quality Division, continues with its enforcement efforts, he said.

Drinks that were suspected to be the cause of alcohol poisoning were the Grand Royal Whisky, Mandalay Whisky, Joker Whisky and Kingfisher and Volcano beers, he said.

As at Sept 20, as many as 68 premises selling alcoholic drinks had been checked and 647 bottles of alcoholic drinks of various brands including the brands mentioned had been confiscated as they were found to have failed to adhere to the Food Act 1983 and Food Regulations 1985.