Kota Kinabalu: A 37-year-old woman was fined a total of RM5,500 for having unregistered products and cosmetics without notifications.
Sessions Court Judge Noor Hafizah Mohd Salim handed the sentence to Veronica Berman who pleaded guilty to two charges against her, on Monday.
On the first count, Veronica was fined RM2,500 in default 60 days’ jail for having for sale 19 types of unregistered products at 2.20pm on May 17, 2024 at the Danya Beauty Boutique in Inanam New Township, Inanam, here.
The offence under Regulation 7 (1)(a) of the Control of Drugs and Cosmetic Regulations 1984 carries a jail term of up to three years, or a fine of up to RM50,000, or both, on conviction.
On the second count, she was fined another RM3,000 or 60 days’ jail for having 35 types of cosmetics without notifications at the same place and time.
In mitigation, Veronica who was represented by counsel Khalid Murshidi, asked for a light sentence saying that it was her first offence and that she was only running a small business with a gross of income RM1,000 per month.
Khalid informed the court that most of the items seized by the Ministry of Health (MOH) belonged to the vendors who rented the box at the premises owned by Veronica.
According to him, after the premises was raid, Veronica did not simply accept vendors to sell their items which were not registered with the MOH.
However, Prosecuting Officer Tan Pueh Li from the Pharmacy Department urged the court to impose an appropriate sentence for public safety and health, as it will not only serve as a lesson to Veronica but also as a warning to others who may intend to commit the same offence.
Tan further submitted that a total of 19 types of unregistered products and 35 types of cosmetics without notifications with an estimated value of RM7,306 were confirmed to be unregistered and not notified with the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Division.
She added that these products and cosmetics were neither tested nor evaluated by the Drug Control Authority, raising doubts about their quality and safety.
Therefore, the use of these unregistered products and not notified cosmetics may pose risks of side effects to the public.
