FOMCA in the News | Association warns of misleading claims |
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| Written by Administrator |
| Monday, 08 February 2010 11:08 |
 PETALING JAYA: The Water and Energy Consumers Association of Malaysia (Wecam) has cautioned people against being duped by companies selling water filters with dubious claims.Its secretary-general S. Piarapa-karan said that among the claims were improvement in the body’s immune system, allergy reduction and elimination of toxic material from the water. He said a recent survey by the association found a company claiming that its filters could “break water molecules into smaller particles so that they can be easily absorbed by the body”. This, he explained, was a false claim because water molecules, which were held by hydrogen bonds, could not be broken by any filtration process. Piarapakaran said the survey also found that the usage of water filters was increasing in Malaysia and that false claims by companies were rampant. “The authorities should intensify enforcement to ensure that consumers are safeguarded,” he said. He said the level of awareness on the types and functions of water filters among consumers was very low For example, he said, of the 1,792 households surveyed throughout the country, only 66 had sufficient knowledge on the types and functions of filters. Piarapakaran said Wecam had submitted a memorandum to the National Water Services Commission and the Health and Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism ministries, urging them to act against unethical water-filter companies and intensify educational programmes for consumers. — Bernama |