Consumers Association of Penang

Giving a voice to the little people...since 1970

Contrary to what Dr Lee Han Lim of IMR has written (‘GM mosquitoes: Procedure strictly complied with’ in The Sun, Feb. 6 , http://www.thesundaily.my/news/287130), the GM Aedes mosquitoes release was riddled with non-compliance of international biosafety standards, non-transparency, lack of public accountability and lack of proper due process prior to the GM mosquito release. Moreover, recently revealed data shows that survival rate of the GM mosquitoes can be as high as 15%, not the mere 3% that Dr. Lee claims.

Scrap sugar subsidy

CAP calls upon the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism to immediately stop subsidising the price of sugar.

Sugar should be sold at its market price because it is not a basic necessity and its consumption only harms one’s health. Sugar has been linked to over 60 ailments from cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart problems, osteoporosis and kidney problems to asthma and allergies.

Hazards of low-level radiation

Below we reproduce Chapter 5 of "Wasted Lives: Radioactive Poisoning in Bukit Merah" for our readers. It shows the many ill-effects of low-level radiation and its impacts on the residents in Bukit Merah.

What is frightening about radiation is that you cannot see it, feel it, hear it or taste it. You do not have to get into the area of a radioactive dump, dig the soil, bathe in it, or throw it over your head to get hurt.

Conquer obesity in the battle against diabetes

In Malaysia in spite of many campaigns against diabetes its prevalence especially that of Type 2 has increased to epidemic proportions. At the current population of 28 million and at the prevalence rate of 15 percent it is estimated that there are 4.2 million diabetics in Malaysia.

The prevalence of diabetes in Malaysia had jumped from 1-2% in 1960. 6.3% in 1985, 8.3% in 1996 and 14.9% in 2006.