KUCHING: Are cheaper Antigen Rapid Test Kit (RTK-Ag) reliable?
Some members of the public are asking this question after Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi revealed in his Facebook post that Covid-19 self-test kits were now available for less than RM7, which was well below the set ceiling price of RM19.90.
According to the minister, Covid-19 self-test kits will now be sold in all supermarkets, chain stores and petrol stations in stages at competitive and affordable prices.
There are other members of the public who welcome the lower priced test kits. They point out that all test kits sold in the market should be reliable because they have been approved by the Ministry of Health (MoH).
Leandro Mcrae Mackinon
(Administrative executive)
Personally, I would rather buy higher priced test kits as the cheaper ones may not be as accurate. Nonetheless, I will do my research on the test kits before buying any to ensure quality. If the ceiling price is lower than expected, the producer may use cheaper materials to produce the test kits and this can result in inaccurate results.
Farah Aishah
(Student)
As a student, I prefer to buy cheaper test kits. Of course, I would do my research on the test kits first. Since there are many brands in the market now, some brands may be better than others.
Allisa Affanddy
(Administrative staff)
I’d rather purchase test kits of the highest quality regardless of the prices. Some higher priced test kits may not be as good or as accurate as those which are cheaper. I hope the new ceiling price will be around RM15 so that more can buy them.
Lanusha Krishnan
(Research assistant)
I will buy cheaper test kits after doing my research by talking to the salespersons or through the social media. However, I believe that selling the test kits for less than RM7 each will encourage more people to get themselves tested for Covid-19.
Lynch Cowan
(Public relations officer)
I will buy the cheaper test kits as the quality of the kits should not be questioned. The Ministry of Health (MoH) has approved several test kits for sale in the market. Without the ministry’s approval, the test kits cannot be sold in the market.
