Stationery shop owners have said they will only start labelling their brushes if they receive official written instructions from the Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Ministry.

"If they come out with a letter, then we will follow, but if they don't then we don't," the owner of a stationery shop in Subang Jaya, who only wanted to be identified as Thang, told Malaysiakini today.

She was responding to Minister Hamzah Zainudin, who had earlier said that traders had the responsibility to inform consumers of the nature of their products.

This comes after it was reported that the ministry had seized pig bristle brushes from hardware stores and stationery shops during raids.

However, Thang conceded that she was not aware whether any of the brushes sold in her shop contained pig bristles as her husband was the one who dealt with the suppliers.

Another stationery shop owner, who declined to be named, also echoed her sentiments, saying that he never got any official letter directing him to label paint brushes sold in his shop.

"I didn't get any letter, that is their problem," the man, who also runs a stationery shop in Subang Jaya, said.

For Thomas Chong, who owns and runs a stationery shop in SS19, Subang Jaya, this matter does not concern him as he does not sell any pig bristle brushes in his shop.

"Many shops nowadays only sell water colour brushes made from synthetic nylon so it is very safe, so that one we don't have to label anything," he said.

Chong mentioned that some of the brushes sold in his shop are made from wolf fur, but he does not need to label those as he only has to label anything porcine-related.

Regardless, he said, some of his Muslim customers do ask him whether his goods are halal and he does explain to them where necessary, if they are made from animal parts.

"Normally Muslim customers, when they walk in, they will ask whether this one is halal.

"We will tell them, this one is from animal fur but it is not from pigs, it is made from wolf.

"When they ask, we will explain to them. Otherwise we assume they already know," he said.

Hamzah had earlier today confirmed that he instructed the ministry's enforcement division to stop conducting raids on shops selling pig bristle brushes.

“I told the officers not to conduct the raids, as though this issue is a huge problem,” he had said.

While agreeing that traders had the responsibility to inform consumers of the nature of a particular product, Hamzah stressed that consumers, likewise, must also ask questions if they were unsure about a certain product.