GEORGE TOWN, Feb 26 — The National Poison Centre (NPC) has detected a worrying rise in poisoning cases involving unregistered rat poison products between 2023 and 2025, with young children being the most vulnerable group.
NPC’s Drug and Poison Information Service UF14 pharmacist Asdariah Misnan said more than 40 per cent of rat poison cases recorded over the past three years involved illegal or unregistered products.
“According to data analysed by the NPC, 42 out of 94 cases in 2023 involved illegal products,” she said in a statement today.
The number of cases involving unregistered rat poison rose to 61 out of 143 in 2024 and 51 out of 118 in 2025.
She said the situation worsened at the end of last year. Between October and December 2025, 35 cases were reported, with 18 cases — or 51.4 per cent — involving illegal or unregistered products.
“This is a serious threat to public health, especially among children,” she said.
Asdariah said between 60 and 70 per cent of reported cases involved children aged one to four, making them the most at-risk group within the home environment.
“Alarmingly, half of the poisoning cases were accidental, caused by children ingesting bait mixed with food and placed in open areas that were easily accessible,” she said.
The NPC identified several frequently implicated unregistered brands, including Smell to Death, Morat, Mao Wang, Hai Zhen Wei, Super Rat Killer, Victory, RTV Rat Poison and Tomrat, as well as various products labelled in Chinese without valid registration numbers.
She said most of these products were believed to be purchased online via e-commerce platforms, while some were obtained from unlicensed traders at night markets.
Asdariah said monitoring efforts revealed serious irregularities in product labelling.
“In some cases, laboratory analysis found that the concentration of active ingredients was higher than stated on the label,” she said.
“Even if the substance itself is not illegal, higher concentrations significantly increase the risk of poisoning, even in small amounts,” she added.
Another cause for concern were instances where laboratory tests detected active ingredients different from those declared on product labels or websites.
“These substances are often more toxic or banned,” she said.
Among those detected were Tetramethylenedisulfotetramine (TETS), Sodium monofluoroacetate (SMFA), Fluoroacetamide and Fluoroacetic acid, which can cause recurrent seizures and death even in very small quantities. She added that these substances have been banned in most countries.
She referred to the July 2024 incident in Kulim, Kedah, where two children died after consuming rat poison placed on crackers, which involved an unregistered toxic substance known to cause seizures.
“Incidents like this must be taken seriously by all parties to prevent them from happening again,” she said.
The NPC urged government agencies to take action to stop the sale of unregistered rat poison.
She also called for stricter enforcement and controls.
Asdariah said e-commerce platform operators must ensure that only sellers licensed by the Pesticides Board of Malaysia are allowed to list registered pesticide products, and that valid registration numbers are clearly displayed.
Under the Pesticides Act 1974, the use of unregistered pesticides is an offence.
“As consumers, we also have a responsibility to ensure that any pesticide purchased is registered and properly labelled,” she said.
The NPC said it is ready to cooperate and fully support immediate and firm action by all stakeholders to stop the spread of dangerous products.
“Every case of poisoning caused by illegal rat poison is preventable through effective product control, responsible sales practices and vigilant consumers,” Asdariah added.