2782) BERNAMA - 27/7/2015 - CALL FOR STRINGENT CONDITIONS IN ACID SALE AND PURCHASE

KUALA LUMPUR, July 27 (Bernama) -- More stringent conditions regarding the sale and purchase of acid should be imposed to prevent the corrosive substance from being used for criminal purposes.

Malaysian Muslim Consumers' Association (PPIM) chief activist Datuk Nadzim Johan said efforts should also be made to record the details of the buyers.

"Besides self-made, acid can be obtained easily on the market. If we can get the buyer's details through registration, at least it can help curb criminal acts," he told Bernama.

He was asked to comment on the acid attack incident in Kampung Baru Bakar, Kuala Kedah, which injured five men on Saturday.

Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (FOMCA) deputy president Mohd Yusof Abdul Rahman, who supported the proposed registration, said the perpetrator could be easily detected if being registered.

Mohd Yusof also suggested that acid should be classified as a controlled toxic substance like certain medicines. "The authorities should segregate between the non-hazardous and hazardous acids and determine whether it can be sold openly or under control," he said.

Malaysian Crime Prevention Awareness Board (LKPJM) vice-president Dr Lee Nan Sang suggested that the government should consider reducing the level of acidity in essential substances such as liquid detergent.

-- BERNAMA