REGULATIONS ON CHILDREN'S TOYS TO BE ENFORCED IN JULY NEXT YEAR

PUTRAJAYA, Dec 21 (Bernama) -- The Regulations on Safety Standards for
Children's Toys, which is supposed to be enforced on Jan 30 next year, will only
be implemented on July 1 next year, Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism
Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said Monday.

He said the six months delay in enforcing the regulations was to provide
time for the toy manufacturers to meet the stipulated standards.

"Effective July 30 next year, I hope all supermarkets and traders selling
children's toys, including those at night markets, will abide by the regulations
and sell only toys which are certified safe," he told reporters here.

Ismail Sabri said the ministry would conduct operations at business
premises to ensure traders abide by the regulations, adding that the penalty was
RM100,000 (US$1=RM3.43) for individual traders and RM250,000 for companies.

He also said that approval for children's toys would not only be issued by
the Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (Sirim), but also by
the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (Ilac) and the Asia
Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (Aplac).

"For imported toys, although they have been tested overseas, Sirim's
approval is required before they can be sold in the country.

"However, under the new system , the manufacturers have to get approval from
the laboratories recognised by us and then to produce the certificate of
conformity issued by the laboratories to the Malaysian authorities," he added.

He said programmes would also be carried out to enhance public awareness on
the regulations.

-- BERNAMA