FOLLOWING numerous media reports of reused/recycled gloves flooding the market, the Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association (MARGMA) said it will not tolerate scammers while assuring the public it is on the case.
Speaking out against errant sellers, MARGMA reminded buyers to be vigilant while urging patience while it nabs the bad guys.
“The global shortage of rubber gloves will last beyond 1Q 2022 and the current order lead time will be at least six to eight months or more,” MARGMA president Dr Supramaniam Shanmugam pointed out.
As such, MARGMA warned that any company that claims to have ready stock for new buyers are possibly scammers looking for victims and desperate buyers.
Elaborating, Supramaniam assured Malaysians that his team had intermittently issued several warnings about “scammers and con artists” since June.
Despite the efforts, many desperate and unsuspecting buyers have been conned through various online transactions without receiving any gloves or having received defective ones.
Under the Malaysian Rubber Board (Incorporation) Act 1996 (Act 551), the Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB), is the sole authority to issue licenses to manufacturers, traders, importers and exporters of rubber gloves.
Yesterday, FocusM reported Limmas (M) Sdn Bhd CEO Lim Choon Huat urging the Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB) to legalise a process which only allows registered LGM members to sell gloves.
“This has gone on long enough; there seems to be more and more recycled/reused gloves in the market compared to when the issue was first raised. How is this possible?
“Although we hear of raids happening here and there, this fraudulent business is still flourishing,” Lim was reported saying.
According to MARGMA, some the ways used by scammers to dupe unsuspecting buyers are:
- Claiming as agent or allocation holders for manufacturers (there is no such arrangement by manufacturers)
- Passing off visuals of stocks in warehouse available for immediate sale
- Locking in capacity for future orders and collecting upfront deposits
- Misrepresenting the quality of the gloves
- Shipping off defective gloves as good gloves
- Unauthorised packing of gloves under manufacturers’ brand
Supramaniam said MRB is working diligently with the Malaysian Rubber Council (MRC) to step up its monitoring of such nefarious activities and will take legal action against the perpetrators, who are damaging the industry.
“In the meantime, MRB will be tightening the issuance of glove export licenses and carry out spot checks on existing license holders,” he noted.
“In recent days, MRB has taken action against a few companies that had traded rubber gloves without license,” he remarked. – Dec 22, 2020
