Kuching farm operator fined RM5,000 for excessive pesticide residue in vegetables

Borneo Post

29-05-2025

Magistrate Syarifah Fatimah Azura Wan Ali imposed the fine after the accused pleaded guilty to a charge under Regulation 397(1) of the Food Regulations 1985 and was sentenced under Regulation 397(2) of the same law.
KUCHING (May 29): The Magistrates' Court here yesterday fined a vegetable farm operator RM5,000 for selling vegetables containing pesticide residue exceeding the permitted limit.
Magistrate Syarifah Fatimah Azura Wan Ali imposed the fine after the accused pleaded guilty to a charge under Regulation 397(1) of the Food Regulations 1985 and was sentenced under Regulation 397(2) of the same law.
According to the case facts, a sample of kailan taken on Dec 2, 2024, was sent for laboratory analysis, which revealed that the vegetable contained 0.198 mg/kg of the pesticide residue Pencycuron—exceeding the permissible standard set under Regulation 41(3)(c) of the Food Regulations 1985
The regulation states that no person shall prepare for sale any food containing 0.01 milligrams or more per kilogramme of pesticide residue if the pesticide is not listed for that food in the Sixteenth Schedule or the Codex Alimentarius.
During the court proceedings, prosecuting officer Mohd Fairos Ibrahim from the Inspectorate and Legal Unit of the Kuching Division Health Office urged that a fitting punishment be imposed as a lesson to the accused.
He added that this would also serve as a warning to other operators to comply with the established regulations in the interest of public health. excessive pesticide residue fined lead vegetable farm operator