A DAP parliamentarian has accused low-end Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia (KR1M) of selling products with 'misleading' labels.

NONEIn making the allegation, Petaling Jaya MP Tony Pua also urged the Health Ministry's enforcement unit to take action as this contravened the Food Act 1983.

Pua showed different bottles of oyster sauce to reporters in the Parliament lobby today, saying that KR1M's version was not what it was purported to be.

"I have three brands here - one from KR1M, one produced by famous Lee Kum Kee and Tesco's house brand.

"Both the Lee Kum Kee and Tesco oyster sauce say on the ingredients (panel) that the sauce is made from oyster extract... KR1M's sauce states that the sauce is made from perisa oyster or oyster flavouring," he said.

He also said other 1Malaysia products were similarly "inferior in quality".

“These are products that don’t need lab tests... but these products don’t abide by the Food Act,” he said.

Last week, Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob denied that products sold at KR1M were “inferior” in quality, stressing that the comparison should be apple-to-apple.
 
“Any comparison should be as a whole, taking into consideration weight, packaging and most importantly, quality,” Sabri was quoted as saying.

“So today, I’m showing you products of the same type... and it is clear that the 1Malaysia oyster sauce is not what it claims to be,”  Pua said.

0.6 percent minimum protein content

According to the Food Act, he said, oyster-flavoured sauces have to have a 1.8 percent minimum protein content but the 1Malaysia sauce only has 0.6 percent.

“Conduct a test and within a week you will get the results. Take it off the racks immediately,” he urged.

Referring to the alleged E coli contamination in 1Malaysia branded fresh milk, Pua said although the Health Ministry had set up a special task force to investigate the matter, the milk was no longer sold at KR1M outlets.

“How they are going to investigate I don’t know...” he said, adding that he has given the relevant laboratory test evidence to the ministry to probe the claim.

Kuala Selangor PAS MP Dzulkefly Ahmad reminded the government not to “twist” the controversy to portray the federal opposition of belittling an effort to tackle the rising cost of living to help the poor.

“Our argument is that they (the poor) are those who need our protection. They are the consumers.

“They shouldn't be given cheap products  that are substandard,” Dzulkefly said.

Pua added that Pakatan is “one hundred percent” in support of the initiative to offer cheaper products, but stressed that the government “should not sacrifice on quality”.

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