Wearing a well-fitted mask along with vaccination, self-testing, and physical distancing, helps protect you and others by reducing the chance of spreading COVID-19.
– World Health Organisation
Following protests from face mask manufactures and importers, and concerns raised by the pubic, the government has put off the implementation of the compulsory MS Sirim certification and labelling for non-medical face masks to Jan 1, next year.
Initially the authorities had planned to implement the compulsory certification on July 4 this year, but Petrajaya decided to put on hold the decision after receiving public feedback and warning of possible price hikes by industry players.
The ruling came after the Trade Descriptions (Certification and Marking) of Non-Medical Face Mask Order 2022 under the Trade Descriptions Act was gazetted on April 6.
While I am all for the certification, I just can’t fathom why only now! I don’t blame Sirim QAS International Sdn Bhd – an accredited certification, inspection and testing services provider tasked with the implementation. It’s unfair to chastise the company; it’s just carrying out the government’s decision.
The question on our minds is this: What has the government been doing the last two years when the COVID-19 scourge was at its height, causing untold sufferings to the people and forcing many businesses to tutup kedai?
We are at the tail end of the pandemic, and entering the endemic state. The government’s decision may have come at a wrong time.
Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi has said the use of the face masks will be reduced and that the protective device is not categorised as a controlled item.
“Only three-ply medical face masks have been listed as controlled items since October 2020 and are priced at 0.65 and 0.70 sen each for wholesale and retail respectively.
“However, I hope the industry players are mature in terms of pricing their masks and do not profiteer. We will not hesitate to intervene if they do so by way of enforcing a price control,” he said after meeting industry players recently.
One can argue that Putrajaya’s decision is noble as it’s aimed at preventing locally produced face masks of poor quality from flooding international markets which will smear Malaysia’s name as one of the leading producers of the items.
We also do not want the dumping of non-medical masks of questionable quality in the local market. And the mandatory certification and labelling will ensure manufacturers and importers comply with safety and quality standards.
The controversy surfaced when netizens took to social media by posting unverified information that the authorities would go after individuals who wear uncertified non-medical face masks.
I came across this misleading posting in one of the WhatsApp groups: “Individuals will face fines up to RM100,000 or prison sentences not exceeding three years or both. For second or subsequent offences, offenders will be fined up to RM250,000 or jailed not more than five years or both.”
The posting is misleading and the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry quickly defused the situation by coming out with a clarification, saying the “individuals” mentioned referred to people involved in manufacturing and importing non-medical face masks and not members of the public.
Some social media users even lamented that they would have to rush to exhaust their uncertified face masks before the July 4 deadline.
Netizens had misinterpreted the ministry’s recent announcement about mandatory certification, taking to Twitter to voice out their dissatisfaction over the supposed “RM100,000 and RM250,000 fine” for individual members of the public.
One Twitter account holder fuelled further misinformation when he wrote: “I have just stocked up on KF94 and KN95 masks for my family. We are trying to use up our current stock of non-medical grade face masks before July 4.
The ministry came out with this clarification: “… failure to do so, the companies will be facing fines up to RM200,000, while individuals (manufacturers or importers of non-medical face masks) will be facing fines up to RM100,000 or prison sentences not exceeding three years or both.
For second or subsequent offences, a fine not exceeding RM250,000 or imprisonment of not more than five years or both.”
Hopefully, with this clarification the issue has been put to rest.
Nevertheless, the authorities should monitor the prices of face masks and ensure that the compulsory Sirim certification will not push up the prices of the protective masks – whether they are locally manufactured or imported.
As Universiti Putra Malaysia medical epidemiologist Assoc Prof Dr Malina Osman said: “This gazettement is appropriate and should have been implemented earlier. just hope its enforcement would focus on the epidemic control management and not burden traders or consumers.
“Any price increase would definitely affect consumers because face masks are now a part of our daily lives and for traders, they may suffer losses if they cannot clear the existing face mask stocks.”
Meanwhile, I am concerned about the quality and safety of face masks sold online and bought directly from certain countries. This is where Sirim comes in with its certification and labelling.
