Sharp rise in illegal rat poisoning cases involving toddlers, warns National Poison Centre

GEORGE TOWN – Incidents of poisoning caused by illegal rat poison are showing a worrying trend, with the majority of reported victims being children aged one to four.

This surge has triggered significant concern over the safety of hazardous substances kept within the home.

National Poison Centre’s Drug and Poison Information Service UF14 pharmacist Asdariah Misnan stated that a substantial increase in calls related to rodenticide poisoning was detected between 2023 and 2025.

Data analysis for this period reveals that the majority of these cases involved illegal or unregistered products.

The scale of the issue is reflected in the rising case numbers recorded by the centre:

• 2023: 42 illegal poison cases out of 94 total rat poison incidents.
• 2024: 61 illegal cases out of 143 total incidents.
• 2025: 51 illegal cases out of 118 total incidents.

A sharp spike was also recorded between October and December 2025, with 35 cases reported in just three months. Over 51 per cent of these involved unregistered substances.

“Between 60 and 70 per cent of reported cases involved children aged one to four, making them the most vulnerable group,” Asdariah said.

She revealed that half of these incidents occurred accidentally when children ingested poison bait that had been mixed with food and placed in easily accessible areas.

Investigations 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, alongside products labelled solely in Chinese without valid registration numbers.

Most of these products were procured via e-commerce platforms or unlicensed night market traders.

Lab tests have revealed a dangerous lack of transparency; many products contain active ingredient concentrations far higher than those printed on the labels.

More alarmingly, tests detected banned or highly toxic substances not listed on the packaging, such as Tetramethylenedisulfotetramine (TETS) and Sodium monofluoroacetate (SMFA).

These chemicals can trigger repeated seizures and prove fatal even in minute quantities.

Asdariah highlighted the tragic July 2024 case in Kulim, Kedah, where two children died after consuming poison-laden crackers, an incident linked to these toxic, unregistered substances.

The National Poison Centre is calling for stricter enforcement to halt the sale of these dangerous products.

Under the Pesticides Act 1974, the use or sale of unregistered pesticides is a legal offence.

“Only licensed sellers registered with the Pesticides Board are permitted to sell pesticides,” Asdariah clarified.

She reminded the public that legitimate products must display a registration number (e.g., LRMP R1/XXXX) and provide labels in Bahasa Melayu or English detailing active ingredients, usage instructions and emergency treatment guidance.