Kota Kinabalu: A 28-year-old shop owner was fined RM6,000, in default 30 days’ jail, by the Sessions Court here for possessing unregistered products.
Mafizah pleaded guilty before Judge Monica Linsua to possessing 14 types of unregistered products at Anna Beauty Studio in Asia City at about 5.40pm on April 2, 2025.
The items included various unregistered medicines, injections, vitamins and other health products.
Mafizah had contravened Regulation 7(1)(a) of the Control of Drugs and Cosmetics Regulations 1984, an offence under Regulation 30(1) of the same Regulations and punishable under Section 12(1) of the Sale of Drugs Act 1952.
The law provides for a fine of up to RM25,000, or imprisonment for up to three years, or both, upon conviction.
The prosecution submitted that the products had been confirmed by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Division to be unregistered and had not been assessed for their safety, quality or effectiveness.
It was also submitted that the sale and use of such products could expose the public to health risks, including side effects, kidney damage, blood clots caused by improper injections, infections and the spread of diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis B.
The prosecution also said the Pharmacy Enforcement Division of the Health Ministry aims to ensure that the supply, possession and advertising of substances, products and cosmetics comply with the law.
The seized items were estimated to be worth RM6,171, said Pharmaceutical Prosecuting Officer Nurul Farhni Ramezan.
The prosecution called for a deterrent sentence in the interest of public safety, given the risks associated with unregistered pharmaceutical products.
In mitigation, Mafizah appealed for a lenient sentence, citing her family responsibilities, including caring for her 58-year-old mother.
She also told the court that her shop had already been closed.
