BUKIT MERTAJAM: The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living wants the public in the state to report if they come across traders selling dates from Israel.
State director, S Jegan, said they are aware of the sale of dates from the unrecognised country locally.
"We take note that there are dates from Israel (imported and sold here), but in Penang so far, we have not received any complaints.
"Therefore, the people in this state who come across dates from Israel being sold here can make a direct complaint to us to enable action to be taken.
"Throughout this Ramadan, enforcement officers including price monitoring officers will enter public markets, supermarkets, and recently Ramadan bazaars to conduct inspections (routine and complaint-based) to ensure that all issues related to goods are addressed," he said.
He said this to reporters after being asked to comment on the sale of dates from Israel in Penang after conducting a raid at an illicit store in Taman Perindustrian Machang Indah here today.
Yesterday, the media reported that the Royal Malaysian Customs Department seized 73 packs of 'Organic Jumbo Medjool Dates' believed to be products from Israel.
The 14.6-kilogram (kg) dates worth RM678 were seized in a warehouse around Klang, besides a local man in his 40s believed to be the owner of the business in question was also detained for further investigation.