Cure-all holy water classified as botanical drink

NST: IPOH: The purported cure-all holy water manufactured by a company need not be sent for clinical testing as it is only classified as a botanical drink by the Health Ministry.
The manufacturer, Annusyrah Malaysia Sdn Bhd, claimed that it received a certificate from the ministry last month after samples of their products were sent for a series of tests early this year.
"We sent several samples for tests on their lead, plumbum and steroid contents and results showed that they are safe for human consumption," said its chief executive officer Abdullah Mohd Yusof Abu Hassan.
He also stressed that the company had never promoted its products as a medicine or cure for numerous ailments ranging from diabetes and stroke to kidney stones.
"Our products are marketed based on the (known medicinal) properties contained in saffron which is used as ink during the annusyrah process and one’s faith in the effectiveness of the Quranic verses," he said after the official opening of its factory here yesterday.
(The annusyrah process involves the writing of selected Quranic verses on a white plate with a yellow ink made from the saffron plant. Water sourced from the reverse osmosis technique and a small quantity of Zam Zam water (holy water) are then poured over the plate.)
A day earlier, National Medical Practitioners Association president Prof Dr Abdul Latif Mohd said that a product must undergo clinical testing before it could be accepted as a medicine.
On whether the company’s products actually worked on those who have consumed them, Abdullah replied in the positive.
However, he did not rule out the possibility of faith playing a major role in these ‘success’ stories.