ELECTRICAL PRODUCTS (Safety standards)

Mr Loh Meng See asked the Minister for Trade and Industry what steps are being taken to ensure that consumers are protected from faulty electrical products or from poorly manufactured electrical goods that do not meet safety standards.

The Minister of State for Trade and Industry (Mr Mah Bow Tan) (for the Minister for Trade and Industry): Mr Speaker, Sir, I am answering on behalf of my Minister.

Sir, there is currently a list of items that must be tested to meet specified safety standards before they are allowed onto the market. This list has been drawn up by the Public Utilities Board (PUB), Ministry of Labour and Ministry of Home Affairs. The bulk of these items are electrical fixtures.

With the greater variety of electrical products on sale and the increasing use of new materials in consumer products, the Ministry of Trade and Industry recognises that more needs to be done to ensure that products that are available to consumers pose no hazards to their health and to their safety.

The Ministry has formed a committee to look into product safety legislation. This committee will, inter alia, identify products for which safety standards must be met before they can be put on the market. The representation on the Committee by organisations such as PUB, CASE, SISIR and the Ministries of Health, Environment and Home Affairs reflects MTI's adoption of a concerted and coordinated approach to ensure consumer safety.