BENTONG, Pahang: No foreign chemicals were found in a packet of MyCafe durian white coffee consumed by the two Nepalese security guards who fell ill after drinking it, said Malaysia’s Health Minister on Thursday (Feb 8).
The packet of instant coffee was found in a trash bin and given to the two men, said Dr S Subramaniam.
“We leave it to the police to conduct a full investigation into this matter, it is now beyond the ministry’s jurisdiction. However monitoring will continue to be done from time to time,” the health minister added.
Late last month, five people were admitted to a Penang hospital after consuming the durian white coffee. Two more were warded on Feb 4, complaining of dizziness and vomiting after drinking the coffee.
Malaysian police had said they found a substance believed to be drugs inside sachets of the instant drink, and the health minister ordered random samples to be taken.
However, he said there was no need to follow Singapore in removing the product off the shelves as the packets seemed to have been tampered with after leaving the factory.
“None of the people who’ve taken this coffee actually bought it in the shop,” Dr Subramaniam said on Monday.
“It’s either given by individuals, picked up in garbage cans so there’s something very fishy about this entire thing. So that’s why we’ve asked the police to investigate this thing thoroughly, whether there’s an element of criminality in this whole thing.”
Manufacturer MyCafe had also said the packaging taken from one of the victims was tampered with as it appeared different from the original and was heavier than usual.
Packaging taken from one of the victims (left) and packet which Mycafe says is the original. (Photo: Facebook/Mycafe Penang Durian White Coffee)
