Merchants urged to comply with Trade Descriptions Order 2013
KUCHING: Hardware and machinery merchants in Kuching and Samarahan have been advised to comply with the Trade Descriptions (Goods Made From Any Part of Pig or Dog) Order 2013 by segregating non-halal paint brushes from halal ones.
According to Kuching and Kota Samarahan Divisions Hardware and Machinery Merchants’ Association chairman Law Nai Chiok, the Order came into effect Feb 1, 2014.
“The Order has been there for a while, we want to take this opportunity to call upon our members and all industry players in Kuching and Samarahan to abide by the Order.
“It is very simple. Just segregate paint brushes containing traces of pig and dog, and tag them with ‘Diperbuat Daripada Babi’ or ‘Diperbuat Daripada Anjing’,” he told a press conference here yesterday.
Law stressed that the tag required under the Order had to be displayed in Bahasa Malaysia. He said this was specifically instructed by the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry (KPDNKK) in a letter dated Feb 10, 2017.
He also showed reporters the printed copy of the letter, which was undersigned by KPDNKK enforcement director Rosli Ahmad, and addressed to the Federation of Malaysia Hardware, Machinery and Building Materials Dealers’ Association in Selangor.
Attached with the letter is a photostated copy of the Order. A section of the Order reads: ‘Any person who, in the course of any trade or business, displays any goods or parts of goods made from any part of a pig or dog, whether for sale or as samples of goods for sale, shall (a) display the goods or parts of the goods at a separate place from other goods in the premises; and (b) label, tag or mark the goods or parts of the goods by using the expression ‘Made From Pig’ or ‘Made From Dog’, as the case may be, or any other expression to that effect.’
Law said the requirement of segregating non-halal paint brushes from halal ones was meant to safeguard consumer rights. He hoped that association members as well as other merchants, who are nonmembers, would comply with the regulation.
According to secretary general Henry Hii, the association has about 100 members while there are more than 200 hardware and machinery operators in Kuching and Samarahan.