MALACCA: The Federal Agriculture Marketing Authority (Fama) has taken a vegetable seller to court, and issued 14 warnings to other food traders over various labelling and packaging offences.
State Fama director Mohd Nawi Othman said the traders were taken to task for failing to display labels and grading on agricultural products, which are offences under Section 3(2)(c) of the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority Act 1965.
"We issued 14 warnings to traders who did not display proper labelling and grading on some of their vegetable items, and we are also in the process of presenting a case (involving a vegetable seller) to court (over lack of labelling on items).
"If found guilty, the trader could face a fine of RM25,000 (for the business) and RM1,000 (for the individual)," he told reporters after conducting a check at the Pasar Borong Batu Berendam here today.
The two-hour joint operation, which began at 3.30am, involved 53 officers from Fama; the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry (KPDNKK); the Companies Commission of Malaysia; the Hang Tuah Jaya Municipal Council (MPHTJ); the National Registration Department; and the Immigration Department.
The operation was conducted to ensure that traders abide by all grading, packing and labelling rules under the Fama Act 1965; and to inspect prices of items, weighing scales, licenses and permits.
The Immigration Department, meanwhile, arrested three Bangladeshis and an Indonesian, aged between 25 and 40, who were loitering around the market.
KPDNKK officers also issued a compound of RM200 to a trader for not properly calibrating his weighing scale.
The Companies Commission of Malaysia, meanwhile, identified 25 various offences under the Companies Commission of Malaysia Act 2001 after screening 31 premises.