State health and sports committee chairman Daniel Gooi said the seizure followed an inspection by enforcement officers of stalls near a school, after initial investigations suggested that the victim had purchased the candy from one of these stalls.

In a statement today, he said an investigation into the safety of “Gummy Original Basketball Soft Candy” was ongoing, with further action to be coordinated with the health ministry’s food safety and quality programme.

“The department will continue monitoring and enforcement activities to ensure food safety and prevent similar incidents in the future,” said Gooi in a Bernama report.

On Wednesday, it was reported that 10-year-old Fahmi Hafiz Fakhruddin, a Primary 4 student from SK Sungai Dua, was in critical condition at Penang Hospital after choking on a gummy candy.

The boy, who bought the candy before attending a religious class on Tuesday, died at 11pm yesterday.

Gooi urged parents to be vigilant about their children’s food choices, particularly items that pose the risk of choking.

“On behalf of the state government, I would like to express my condolences to the victim’s family and friends, and I hope they find the strength to face this difficult time,” he said.