Consumer group calls for probe on Shein products entering Malaysia

 

CAP has advised consumers to always wash new clothes before wearing them to get rid of toxic chemicals and to avoid buying from brands that are not transparent about their manufacturing processes. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) has urged the government to investigate products entering Malaysia sold by Chinese-founded online fashion giant Shein.

This comes after South Korean authorities reportedly found high levels of toxic chemicals in children’s products sold by the online shopping platform.

“This is alarming since Shein is one of the online e-commerce platforms popular in Malaysia, especially among the youth.

“CAP calls on our authorities to immediately conduct safety tests of products sold on Shein as they were found to contain highly dangerous chemicals,” the association’s president Mohideen Abdul Kader said in a statement.

Last week, the Straits Times reported that Shein had removed from its website the products found by the South Korean authorities to contain high levels of toxic substances.

Singapore’s Consumer Product Safety Office and Singapore-headquartered Shein were separately quoted as saying that the tainted products were removed from its online catalogue while investigations were ongoing.

The Straits Times quoted a Shein spokesman as saying that the company would take “appropriate follow-up action” against the supplier if its products were found to have flouted safety standards.

Mohideen said the latest information revealed that seven out of eight tested products from Shein contained formaldehyde and phthalates exceeding safety limits. One pair of children’s shoes contained phthalates exceeding the permitted limit by 428 times.

“Exposure to high amounts of phthalates is detrimental to the reproductive, neurological, and developmental systems of humans, with children being even more vulnerable.

“Formaldehyde, when absorbed through the skin, can result in severe systemic toxicity, leading to metabolic acidosis, tissue and organ damage, and coma,” he added.

As precautionary measures, Mohideen advised consumers to wash new clothes before wearing them to get rid of toxic chemicals and avoid buying from brands that are not transparent about their manufacturing processes.

“Avoid or reduce buying clothes or items labelled as stain, water, or odour-resistant,” he added.

FMT has reached out to Shein Malaysia for comment. - FMT