KUALA LUMPUR Malaysia's ban on the sale of firecrackers and fireworks will remain despite an appeal by sellers hoping to cash in on the upcoming Chinese lunar New Year celebrations later this month, news reports said Tuesday.

The Foodstuff and Toy Merchant Association of Malaysia had recently appealed to the government to overturn the ban, which was imposed four years ago.

"After studying the request in detail, the government feels it is not desirable to lift the ban as playing with firecrackers and sparklers can lead to incidents with serious implications," Deputy Home Minister Chor Chee Heung said.

He also warned those smuggling in firecrackers and fireworks from neighboring countries that they would be jailed if caught.

"This is the last warning. They should not resort to smuggling to reap profits," he was quoted as saying by the ***New Straits Times*** daily.

Malaysian authorities imposed the ban after several incidents in which children had their fingers blown off when they made "bombs" by packing firecrackers and fireworks into metal cans or bamboo tubes and exploding them for fun.

Despite the ban, however, fireworks and firecrackers are openly sold in Malaysia during festivals.

Firecrackers have traditionally been let off during the Chinese lunar new year in the belief that the loud noise scares away malevolent spirits.

(DPA)