Trade Ministry puts the squeeze on uncertified squishy toys, seizes over 5,800 nationwide

PUTRAJAYA, October 25 — The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry seized over 5,800 squishy toys, valued at RM70,428 nationwide, due to their lack of the mandatory Safety Compliance Mark. Ministry Enforcement Director-General Datuk Azman Adam reported that these seizures resulted from 15 enforcement actions during a special inspection from October 1 to 14, aimed at verifying child toy safety standards.

Inspections were carried out at 1,845 locations, targeting manufacturers, importers, wholesalers, and retailers. The ministry emphasized its commitment to child toy safety and warned that non-compliance would not be tolerated under the Consumer Protection Act 1999 (Act 599). The public, especially parents, was advised to verify labels and safety compliance marks before purchasing toys for their children.

Suspected toy sellers can report concerns via WhatsApp, the KPDN e-Aduan portal, the KPDN Call Centre, or the Ez ADU KPDN smartphone app. Separately, a trader was fined RM1,000 by the Putrajaya Magistrates’ Court on charges of making false claims in an advertisement. The trader admitted to providing a jubah instead of a baju kurung, following a complaint from a customer who had purchased the product.

The accused was found guilty under Section 10(1)(a) of the Consumer Protection Act 1999 and could face further penalties under Section 25(1)(b) of the same legislation.