JOHOR BAHRU, Sept 17 — Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) Deputy Minister Datuk Rosol Wahid said his ministry will collaborate with the Chemistry Department and Ministry of Health (MOH) to identify the best mechanism to check for sub-standard face masks that are being sold in the market.
He said there were far too many face masks in the market that some were even being sold at very cheap prices but whose effectiveness could not be determined.
As such, the KPDNHEP aims to create awareness among the public on the importance of choosing appropriate and quality face masks.
“The 3-ply face mask should fulfil the function of curbing the spread of the COVID-19 virus, but when we checked in the laboratory, we found that some masks do not fulfil that function.
“This is what worries us, what more when we hear complaints of face masks being sold at very cheap prices, even the 3-ply ones. But we fear these sub-standard face masks won’t be able to stop the spread of the virus,” he told reporters after visiting face mask distributor Durio PPE Sdn Bhd here today.
Also present was state Unity, Trade and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman Dr Chong Fat Full.
Rosol said this when asked by reporters how to detect sub-standard face masks and if the ministry had certain standards to identify such masks.
According to him, it is understood that there was only one face mask manufacturer in Johor and only the MOH had the face mask filtration efficiency testing equipment.
From Jan 29 to yesterday, a total of 3,712 checks had been conducted on premises selling and supplying face masks while 174 face mask-related complaints had been received in the state.
