Up to five per cent of medicines in Malaysia are fake - EMHN

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has a fake medicine prevalence of roughly three to five per cent of all medicine in the country's circulation, according to an article by Emerging Markets Health Network (EMHN).

Busy hawkers fooled by fake RM50 notes

Posted on July 2, 2013, Tuesday

ILL LUCK: Vong (right) and Ho showing the counterfeit RM50 they have received from customers. — Photo by Chin Tze Pin

KUCHING: Beware of counterfeit RM50 notes in circulation here.

Several hawkers, including Kuching City South Hawkers and Petty Traders Association secretary Vong Wei Liang and Youth chief Ho Kui Ping, have fallen victims.

Consumers Need to Know Their Rights

As more and more companies employ slick marketing gimmicks and sales tactics, the chances of a consumer getting duped is pretty high. In just one visit to consumer blogs or websites like The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) and the Muslim Consumers Association of Malaysia (PPIM), you will be able to find scores of complaints of fraud like credit card fraud, direct selling, misleading advertisements, scratch and win scams and fake products. Although these websites are becoming popular among consumers as the best platform for  sharing information and airing their grievances, a majority of consumers are yet to voice out. They prefer keeping quiet and refuse to lodge complaints even after realizing that they have been duped by marketing tricks or have bought faulty products.

RM80,000 fake Louis Vuitton goods seized

by Chok Sim Yee. Posted on June 15, 2013, Saturday

KOTA KINABALU: Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Ministry branch office here seized more than RM80,000 worth of what are believed to be counterfeit Louis Vuitton goods from nine premises in the city.

Study: Fake drugs a growing problem in M'sia

Written by Stephanie Sta Maria of fz.com

Thursday, 14 February 2013 10:23

PETALING JAYA: A newly released study by an independent think tank that looks into the problem of

fake medicine in Asia, has revealed that 5% of the medicines in Malaysia are counterfeit.

Though the study by Emerging Markets Health Network (EMHN) showed that Malaysia’s fake medicine

prevalence was low when compared to its Asean neighbours, it is a growing problem that must be tackled

earnestly.

How to manage your cash?

Cash is king, so they say. True. But how do we make cash king? What are the simple fundamentals when it comes to dealing with cash? KASH WONG offers a simple way to teach us using the K.A.S.H. acronym.

Chocolate Wars, Belgium Chocolatiers Intent on Stamping out Impostors

The champagne of chocolates determined to maintain quality and market

by Perviz Walji on June 8, 2013.

Belgium chocolatiers are intent on stamping out impostors.

Chocolate makers in Belgium are engaged in a bitter crusade against chocolatiers in foreign countries that are threatening that country’s celebrated chocolates by selling inferior products that claim to be Belgium-made.

Fight Against Counterfeiting in Malaysia.

Illicit trade involving counterfeiting, naturally a very harmful form of encroachment, could easily injure the rightful ownership of an intellectual property; and in Malaysia, counterfeiting is not taken lightly. In the eyes of law, infringement of intellectual property is a serious offence, with possible civil or criminal prosecutions against an infringer. Basically, if you own an intellectual property right, you can demand any person that is infringing or likely to infringe it to stop the infringement, at least before embarking onto expensive court trials.

Malaysia Consumer: Know your medicine

KNOW YOUR MEDICINES 

1. What is medicine?
   Medicines are chemical substances that are used for treatment, prevention and diagnosing diseases. There are medicines that you can buy "over-the-counter" at the pharmacy or supermarkets as well as those you get from your doctor. If used properly medicine will help you to overcome or control your medical problem. Repeated studies have shown that as many as 50% of patients do not take their medicine properly.
   

Taiwan adopts revised food act with tough penalties

A starch certification is displayed at an outlet of French retail giant Carrefour June 2 in Taipei City. (CNA)

• Publication Date：06/03/2013
• 
  

Amendments to food-related regulations with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment were passed by the ROC Legislative Yuan May 31, part of government efforts to eradicate the use of unapproved additives in food products and safeguard public health.

“We are grateful the Legislature responded swiftly in light of the recent starch incident with a comprehensive revision of related regulations, a step we believe will help improve Taiwan food safety,” Department of Health Minister Chiu Wen-ta said.

Half a million Ringgit worth of fake printing supplies seized in Malaysia: HP

More than 2,000 counterfeit toner cartridges and 80 fake toner cartridges, worth more than RM540,000 (US$181,300), have been seized by Malaysian law enforcement officials though no arrests have yet been made, according to technology solutions giant HP.

Malaysia Counterfeit Banknotes

Counterfeit banknotes are reproduction of the real banknotes using materials of low quality but appear similar to the genuine with intent to deceive member of the public.

Counterfeit banknotes have no value but it is possible that they may be used and may escape detection for some time. Thus, protect yourself and always check your banknotes when you receive them.

Detecting a Counterfeit Banknote

All counterfeits of modern banknotes can be recognized without too much difficulty. The differences can be seen upon closer examination by applying the "FEEL , LOOK, TILT and CHECK" Principle.

Counterfeit Detection: Feel

Security Features	Genuine	Counterfeit
Feel the quality of paper	The genuine banknote is usually printed on very high quality paper and manufactured from cotton. It has a unique feel, crisp sound and slightly rough in the heavily printed areas.	The paper used for making the counterfeit notes appears to be poor quality,most common commercial type of paper.
Feel the Intaglio Printing	The intaglio print is a raised printing effect produced by applying layers of tactile inks on various parts of the front and reverse sides of the notes	The counterfeit banknote does not have feeling the raised printing.

Counterfeit Detection: Look

Security Features	Genuine	Counterfeit
Look at the banknote and hold it up to the light	The genuine banknote carry a watermark portrait, security thread and perfect see through features . A watermark portrait of Yang DiPertuan Agong has three dimensional effect and appears soft and shady without sharp outlines portrait. At the base of watermark a denomination number is clearly visible. The security thread will always looked embedded in the paper. The hibiscus flower on the obverse will register perfectly with the same flower on the reverse of the banknote.	The watermark in the counterfeit is not visible. If any, it can be appears like a drawing. The security thread is simulated and rather blurs, and can be easily scrapped off. The see through features does not perfectly registered with the pattern on the reverse side of the banknote.
Look under magnifying glass	You can see micro lettering on observe and reverse sides of all banknotes. The lettering on a genuine banknote should be sharp and not blurred.	The micro lettering of the words 'BANKNEGARA MALAYSIA', 'BNM' and banknotes denomination i.e. RM1, RM5, RM10, RM50 and RM100 on the banknote are not present, only dots are printed to simulate this features.
Look ultra-violet light	Invisible fluorescent elements representing various elements of the background on the obverse and reverse will fluoresce in different colours. Various elements are captured under UV light such as invisible fibres and phosphorescence square.	Under UV light the invisible fibres and phosphorescence square are completely missing in the counterfeit note. The paper of the counterfeit is UV bright, meaning that it glows more than genuine banknote paper.

Counterfeit Detection: Tilt

Tilt the banknote
LEAD feature (incorporated in RM10, RM50 and RM100)  You can see the iridescent stripe shines under a bright light and showing the banknote denomination and the name of BNM when the view angle is shifted.	Lead feature is very difficult to counterfeit. Normally the shines of the LEAD cannot be seen. Some counterfeiters will attempt to simulate it by using a plain shiny foil.
PEAK feature  When changing the angle of view by shifting the banknote, a hidden image of denomination number i.e. 50 will be revealed in the centre of the PEAK square.	There is no latent image of denomination in the PEAK feature or some simulation of image has been attempted.

Security Features

Various security features have been incorporated into the Malaysia Ringgit banknote. It is important for you to be aware of some of these security features and be able to distinguish between genuine and counterfeit notes which are completely worthless.

Level	Examination	Security Features
Level I : Public	Human Sense	Watermark Portrait Security Thread LEAD Feature PEAK Feature Perfect See Through Intaglio Print
Level II : Cash Handler	Human Sense & Equipments	All the first level features Security Fiber Fluorescent Elements Micro Lettering Fluorescent Square

What Do You Do If You Receive a Counterfeit Banknote?

Notify the police immediately if you have received counterfeit banknotes. Using or returning counterfeit banknotes is just as illegal as manufacturing it. Counterfeit banknotes are not eligible for replacement!

Follow these steps

• Delay the person (passer) who gives you the counterfeit banknotes if possible and observe the passer's description, as well as that of his/her companion if any, and the license numbers of any vehicles used by them
   
• Do not write on, cut or re-circulate the counterfeit currency
   
• Handle the currency as little as possible (e.g. you can put it in an envelope or plastic cover). Record on a separate sheet of paper all the details about how you got the currency, who gave it to you, where and when you got it
   
• Take the counterfeit currency to the nearest police station and surrender the counterfeit currency to them after lodging a police report

Penal Code

Section 489 Penal Code (Offence Relating to Currency Matter)

Subject	Type of Offence	Whether the police may ordinarily arrest without warrant or not	Penalty imposed
489A	Forging or counterfeiting currency notes or banknotes	May arrest without warrant	Imprisonment for 20 years and fine
489B	Using as genuine forged or counterfeiting currency or banknotes	- do -	Imprisonment for 20 years and fine
489C	Possession of forged or counterfeiting currency notes or banknotes	- do -	Imprisonment for 10 years
489D	Making or possession of instrument or materials for forging or counterfeiting currency notes or banknotes	- do -	Imprisonment for 20 years and fine

source: http://www.bnm.gov.my/index.php?ch=229&pg=737&ac=43