Category: Health EN

Chemicals found in plastic items such as packaging and medical equipment can leach into our foods and bloodstreams. They also contaminate our rivers and our water sources. They can also be absorbed and bioaccumulate in the tissues of organisms, contaminating the food chain.  

“Asthmagens” are substances that can cause asthma in otherwise healthy people. Fabric softeners may also contain other chemicals linked to many health problems like: > Benzyl acetate (pancreatic cancer) > Ethanol (central nervous system disorders) > Limonene (cancer-causing substance) > Chloroform (neurotoxin and carcinogen} > Glutaraldehyde (respiratory issues) Avoid exposure...

African swine fever (ASF) is a devastating infectious disease of pigs, usually deadly. No vaccine exists to combat this virus. It does not affect humans nor does it affect other animal species other than pigs and wild boars. It can be transmitted either via direct animal contact or via the dissemination of contaminated food (e.g. sausages or uncooked meat). On 17 December, the Department of...

The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) had received an increasing number of complaints by consumers about their skyrocketing health insurance premiums over the recent years. On investigation, it appears to be due to escalating medical fees charged by private hospitals. The Malaysian Health Ministry (MoH) should investigate and take appropriate action. According to Bank Negara (BNM) Annual...

November 14 is World Diabetes Day. On this occasion, the Consumers Association of Penang calls on the relevant authorities to take immediate steps to control the growing number of obese children in the country. Children in Malaysia have been labelled the fattest in the region, but their weight carries a greater burden than just their size. The recent Movement Control Order (MCO) had worsened the...

The World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry, of which the Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) is a member, welcomes the growing momentum to phase out the use of dental amalgam. The first part of the fourth Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (COP4) which was held online from November 1st ended yesterday. The Minamata Convention requires Parties to phase down the...

On October 7, the Health Minister KhairyJamaluddin announced that Malaysia had signed an agreement to procure 150,000 courses of the drug. However, he refused to reveal the costs involved saying that the government was bound by a confidentiality agreement with the company Merck. If one uses Merck’s publicly announced retail price for Molnupiravir at RM293 per pill (10 pills per course of...

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized 24–30 October 2021, as the International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week to raise awareness and promote actions to address the health impacts of lead exposure, especially on children, pregnant women and workers. In conjunction with this occasion, the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) calls on the Malaysian government to expedite regulatory...

  Consumers are advised to prioritise handwashing over sanitiser use as regular and overuse of hand sanitisers can pose long-term health problems. Thorough handwashing is the first defence against disease transmission. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), washing hands with soap and water is the best way to prevent the spread of infections and decrease the...

The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) calls on the authorities to prohibit e-commerce sites in the country from selling banned cosmetics products. In an online survey we found 9 banned face creams sold online by Lazada, Shopee and Carousell. These products were on the list of notified cosmetic products cancelled by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency, Ministry of Health Malaysia....