KUCHING: The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) Sarawak last Thursday raided a residential house at Mile 3 on suspicion of producing and selling counterfeit hand sanitisers branded “Saraya”.
In a statement issued, the raid was carried out by KPDNHEP enforcement officers around 12pm on the same day after a two-month observation towards the house.
“When they raided the house, the team seized Saraya Smart San bottles — five litres (11 bottles), one litre (21 bottles), 0.1 litre (10 bottles), three 25-litre empty bottles, a filled bottle with 10 litres of liquid, and a manual pump. The seizures were worth RM4,140.
“Investigations revealed that the suspect was engaged in mixing and re-packaging activities using a trademark registered as ‘Saraya’,” the statement said.
The case is being investigated further under Section 102 of the Trademarks Act 2019.
If convicted, the accused (if the person is a body corporate) is liable to a fine of not exceeding RM15,000 for each item used with the falsely registered trademark, and for a second or subsequent offense, a fine not exceeding RM30,000 for each item with the falsely registered trademark.
Or if the person is not a body corporate, a fine not exceeding RM10,000 will be imposed for each item used with the falsely registered trademark, or imprisonment not exceeding three years or both and for a second or subsequent offense, a fine of not more than RM20,000 for each item used with the falsely registered trademark, or imprisonment not exceeding five years, or both.
KPDNHEP in collaboration with registered trademark owners will continuously monitor, conduct inspections and take firm actions from time to time to deal with counterfeit products in the market.
