Make sure items purchased have SIRIM labels - FOMCA

Consumers are advised to always ensure that all electrical and electronic devices and gadgets they want to purchase have SIRIM safety labels or stickers on it.

The Federation of Malaysian Consumer Associations (FOMCA) deputy Mohd Yusof Abdul Rahman said this was because the labels or stickers would guarantee that the devices and gadgets were safe for use.

"If the item was purchased from a shop and an accident occurred, or the item caught fire, consumers can claim compensation from the shop," he told Bernama here on Friday.

He said this in response to the incident involving Bernama News Channel (BNC) cameraman whose thigh was after his powerbank, which he kept in his bag, burst in flames, yesterday.

Mohd Yusof also advised consumers to ensure that the product they wished to purchase was of good quality, and to only buy goods from trusted shops.

He also suggested that the powerbank be listed as a electrical device which needs to be tested and given the SIRIM label to ensure users' safety.

Meanwhile, the cameraman, Ahmad Shahuri Mat Jaan, 43, who is receiving treatment at a private hospital here said he was covering an event in Chow Kit, at about 12.30pm when the incident occurred.

He said while he was waiting for the event to begin, a woman suddenly alerted him that his backpack - which contained the powerbank - had caught fire.

"Upon realising the fact my bag was on fire, I threw it onto the floor to put out the fire," he told Bernama when met at the hospital on Friday.

He said he then went to the restroom to wash the burn marks off his pants before discovering that his left thigh was burnt badly.

The victim sought treatment at a clinic shortly after the incident, before being transferred to the private hospital to remove the dead skin cells.

He is now in stable condition in normal ward.