02/06/2025

MONDAY | JUNE 2, 2025

6 Association raises alarm over online sales of abortion pills

he lost control of the bulldozer. The bodies of both deceased were sent to the forensics unit at Sultan Ismail Petra Hospital for an autopsy. The cases are being investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987. Police are urging anyone with information about the incidents to contact the Traffic Police station at the Kuala Krai district police headquarters or reach out to investigating officer Insp Mohamad Amirul Izham Azlan at 09-966 6222. – Bernama Fugitive Indian drug kingpin deported after arrest KUALA LUMPUR: Police have arrested an Indian national suspected of being the notorious drug kingpin of a transnational syndicate wanted by the Indian government, while he was hiding in a hotel in the capital on May 13. Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said the 30-year-old man was arrested by a team from the Federal Criminal Investigation Department together with the Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) at 1.35am in a hotel room. He said checks revealed the suspect had entered Malaysia earlier this year on a tourist pass. “Further investigations found that the man had no involvement in drug trafficking activities in Malaysia. “However, follow-up action and intelligence are actively being carried out by NCID to determine whether the suspect has any local networks or links to secret societies in the country,” he said when contacted on Saturday. Razarudin said the man, who was listed as a fugitive by the Indian government, was deported to India on a flight at about 7pm on Tuesday. According to the Indian Express , the suspect was arrested by India’s Narcotics Control Bureau following his extradition from Malaysia. The syndicate led by the suspect is believed to have been involved in drug smuggling operations involving 1,128 crore (RM635 million), including trafficking cocaine and marijuana sourced from the United States via cargo shipments. – Bernama Police probe Bukit Tambun toll plaza altercation NIBONG TEBAL: Police have received two reports over an altercation between two men at the Bukit Tambun toll plaza, after a video of the incident was widely shared on social media on Saturday. South Seberang Perai district police chief Supt Jay January Siowou said investigations were ongoing and efforts were underway to trace the suspects involved. “Police found a 28-second video that was widely shared on social media, showing a misunderstanding between two road users at the RFID lane of the Bukit Tambun toll plaza, heading south at about 5.15pm on May 31. “The incident involved a rear-end collision that led to an argument, property damage and allegations of physical assault and criminal intimidation by one of the individuals involved,” he said in a statement on Saturday. He added that the video, recorded with a dashboard camera, had sparked varied reactions from the public. Investigations are being carried out under Section 323 of the Penal Code for causing hurt and Section 506 for criminal intimidation. – Bernama

o Experts warn of serious risks as desperation drives many women to resort to unregulated use of misoprostol

unmarried or facing financial difficulties, often turn to these pills out of sheer desperation.” Darshan highlighted Section 312 of the Penal Code, which stipulates that causing a miscarriage is punishable by up to three years in prison. Women who self-induce an abortion can face up to seven years. He also highlighted Section 315, which deals with acts intended to prevent a child from being born alive or causing its death after birth, that carries penalties of up to 10 years’ imprisonment. However, abortion is permitted under Malaysian law if a registered medical practitioner, acting in good faith, believes the pregnancy poses a greater risk to the woman’s life or health than terminating it as stated in the Medical Act 1971. Fellow USM researcher Dr Zurina Hassan echoed these concerns, adding that unlicensed pills may contain harmful adulterants such as steroids or incorrect dosages, significantly increasing the risk of overdose and toxic reactions. “The purity of these black-market drugs is highly questionable. Consumers often have no idea what they’re ingesting,” she warned. “These medications should only be used under proper medical supervision.” On enforcement, Zurina acknowledged the uphill task authorities face, likening the online availability of misoprostol to the trafficking of psychoactive substances on the dark web.

proper diagnosis, monitoring or follow-up care. “This isn’t just a health issue. It’s a matter of life and death, especially for young women who may feel they have nowhere else to turn for reproductive healthcare.” Lim added that pharmacy enforcement officers under the Pharmacy Enforcement Division are closely monitoring platforms such as TikTok, where the illegal sale of misoprostol and other prescription-only drugs has been detected. He added that misoprostol has been officially deregistered in Malaysia since 2016, making its sale and purchase illegal regardless of platform. “Any transaction involving misoprostol – whether on social media or elsewhere – is against the law.” He further warned that the issue extends beyond a lack of awareness, highlighting Malaysia’s highly restrictive abortion laws as a contributing factor. “Abortion is legal only under very limited circumstances, when the mother’s life is at risk. With so few legal options, many women are pushed towards unsafe alternatives.” Lim urged social media companies to act more responsibly, suggesting their algorithms could be used more effectively to detect and remove illicit drug sales. Meanwhile, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Centre for Drug Research researcher Dr Darshan Singh said the illegal sale of misoprostol highlights a deeper issue, limited access to safe abortion and widespread public misinformation. “Young women, especially those who are

Ű BY FAIZ RUZMAN newsdesk@thesundaily.com

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Pharmacists Society (MPS) has raised the alarm over a surge in illegal sales of unlicensed abortion pills – especially misoprostol – on social media, warning of serious, potentially fatal health risks. MPS general secretary Lim Jack Shen said these pills, often purchased online without prescriptions or guidance, pose grave risks when consumed without medical supervision. “Medications such as misoprostol are powerful pharmaceuticals intended for use under strict clinical oversight, typically in hospital settings. “Used incorrectly, they can cause severe uterine bleeding, incomplete abortion, uterine rupture, sepsis and even death,” he told theSun . He stressed these dangers are not minor side effects but life-threatening outcomes, particularly when such drugs are taken without Man dies, five houses razed in Bintulu fires KUCHING: The festive atmosphere of Gawai Day in Sarawak was overshadowed by two separate fires in Bintulu that left one man dead and 21 people homeless. According to the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department operations centre, the first incident occurred on Saturday night when five single-storey terrace houses were razed at the Kidurong MLNG housing area in Jalan Abang Usop. The emergency call was received at 11.43pm and 18 firefighters from the Kidurong and Bintulu fire stations managed to fully extinguish the blaze by 6.25am yesterday. In a separate incident early yesterday, a man in his 50s, identified as Wong Jun Din, died after a fire engulfed a non-permanent house on Jalan Sibiew near SJK Siong Boon at about 2.30am. “The victim is believed to have been trapped inside but was pulled out by residents in an unconscious state with burn marks across his body. He was pronounced dead at the scene by a medical team from the Health Ministry,” the department said in a statement. – Bernama

MARKET BUZZ ... Local and international tourists visitng Pasar Seni during the first term school holidays, browsing a wide range of unique artworks, handicrafts and souvenirs. – ADAM AMIR HAMZAH/THESUN

Separate incidents claim lives of two men in Kelantan KUALA KRAI: Two men were killed in separate incidents involving heavy machinery in Kuala Krai, Kelantan on Saturday evening, said district police chief Supt Mazlan Mamat. passing through a hilly area. “The backhoe skidded and fell off the cliff, causing the victim to be thrown out and subsequently crushed by the vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene,” Mazlan said in a statement. Laloh after the bulldozer he was operating fell into a ravine. “Initial investigations found the victim was working on the plantation and operating the bulldozer to construct terraces.

In the first incident, which occurred at about 3pm, a 49-year-old Thai national died after the backhoe he was driving fell off a cliff in the Ladang Dabong area near Km27 of Jalan Sungai Sam– Dabong. “At the time of the accident, the victim was driving the backhoe to take a break and was

“While performing the work, the bulldozer slipped off its path and fell into a ravine about 100m deep,” he said. The victim, who was trapped in the machine, was pronounced dead at the scene. The incident is believed to have occurred after

He said the accident is believed to have resulted from the driver’s failure to control the vehicle, leading it to plunge off the cliff. In a separate incident at about 3.30pm, a 59-year-old man was killed at Ladang Bonanza,