PETALING JAYA: Malaysia recorded 12,899 food poisoning cases and five deaths between January and August this year, health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad told the Dewan Rakyat.
He defended the need for heavier penalties under the Food (Amendment) Bill 2026, saying existing punishments were no longer proportionate to the seriousness of food safety offences.
Dzulkefly said in an incident at Sekolah Menengah Sains Teluk Intan, six students were hospitalised after consuming an omelette contaminated with salmonella, while the person responsible was fined only RM3,000.
