Nearly 13,000 food poisoning cases, 5 deaths recorded as of August

 Health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad says the existing penalties are too lenient and do not reflect the seriousness of food safety offences.

Health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said the proposed higher penalties in the bill were intended to protect consumers and encourage food businesses to operate more responsibly. (File pic)

PETALING JAYA:

Malaysia recorded 12,899 food poisoning cases and five deaths between January and August this year, health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad told the Dewan Rakyat.

He defended the need for heavier penalties under the Food (Amendment) Bill 2026, saying existing punishments were no longer proportionate to the seriousness of food safety offences.

Dzulkefly said in an incident at Sekolah Menengah Sains Teluk Intan, six students were hospitalised after consuming an omelette contaminated with salmonella, while the person responsible was fined only RM3,000.

“Is this punishment proportionate to the harm suffered by the students?” he asked during his winding-up speech on the bill.

Dzulkefly also cited a 2018 food poisoning incident involving laksa in Kedah, which affected 61 people and claimed two lives, while the person responsible was fined just RM1,500.

“The existing penalties have not been revised for the past 43 years and are no longer proportionate to the offences committed,” he said.

Dzulkefly said the proposed higher penalties in the bill were intended to protect consumers and encourage food businesses to operate more responsibly, adding that they were not meant to place an additional burden on small traders.

He also assured MPs that the health ministry would deal with minor technical offences through advice and health education.

However, Dzulkefly said serious offences that threaten public health could result in the immediate closure of premises and the issuance of compounds.

He said cases involving repeat offenders would be brought directly to court, with the offenders placed under stricter monitoring.

Dzulkefly also clarified that the proposed penalties were maximum amounts, and that courts would retain the discretion to impose lower fines depending on the seriousness of the offence.

The Dewan Rakyat later passed the Food (Amendment) Bill 2026, which seeks to strengthen food safety enforcement and increase penalties for offences under the Food Act 1983. - FMT