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September 22, 2021 8:54 AM
GEORGE TOWN: All sanitiser guns should carry warning labels to remind users that the liquid should not be sprayed on people, a consumer advocate said today, following warnings from experts on its adverse effects on health.
The health ministry, too, has warned about the ill-effects of the contents of such sprays, typically bleach, when it comes into contact with the skin or is inhaled.
Yesterday, health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said such sprays from sanitiser guns can be used for surface cleaning but that manual wipe downs were still the best way to disinfect surfaces.
Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) president Marimuthu Nadason said that besides clear warning labels, the government should keep a close eye on those selling the nano-mist sanitiser guns online or in shops.
He said there were listings that showed false claims such as it being safe to use on human bodies and that certification had been obtained from the health ministry and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States.
Speaking to FMT, Marimuthu said the types of chemicals being sold together with these devices must be monitored, as it might be a lethal mix.
He said that online shopping malls should also carry warnings above all listings and remove those that carry false claims.
Marimuthu added that sellers must carry important specifications, such as chemical type, how it should be stored, and other safety requirements in a clearly visible portion of the online malls selling the sanitiser guns and chemicals.
He called for the domestic trade and consumer affairs ministry, along with the health ministry, to order these online malls to do so and at the same time check online listings to spot offenders.
Read more: All sanitiser guns must come with warning label, says Fomca
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Sunday, 05 Sep 2021
PETALING JAYA: After two water supply interruptions in the Klang Valley within a week, the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) is calling for stern action against polluters and for a water bill discount to be offered.
Its chief executive officer T. Saravanan said the unscheduled water cuts within days of each other were unacceptable and consumer frustration was palpable all over social media.
“Consumers are becoming the victim of these culprits. We want justice and those who are responsible must be apprehended.
“Raw water protection is very important and all stakeholders must take initiatives to protect it.
“The authorities must carry out an investigation and take stern action to curb these problems,” he said.
Saravanan said some payment waivers from the utility company or the state government should be considered due to the inconvenience faced by consumers.
On Aug 31, a total of 463 areas in the Klang Valley experienced an unscheduled water cut due to odour pollution.
The pollution was detected at the water intake for the Jenderam Hilir raw water pump station, leading to a temporary shutdown of the Semenyih water treatment plant.
Water supply in the affected areas was fully restored by Sept 2.
On Sept 3, the Sungai Semenyih treatment plant had to be shut down following another odour pollution detected in the raw water source.
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September 11, 2021 @ 6:03pm
KUALA LUMPUR: Gabungan Persatuan-persatuan Pengguna Malaysia (FOMCA) berharap cadangan untuk mewajibkan ujian kepekatan karbon dioksida di dalam premis tertutup tidak akan membebankan pemiliknya.
Menyifatkan cadangan itu sebagai inisiatif yang baik, Timbalan Presidennya, Mohd Yusof Abdul Rahman, berkata ujian itu tidak menyebabkan pemiliknya terpaksa mengeluarkan kos yang tinggi sehingga menanggung kerugian.
"Cadangan itu dilihat satu inisiatif baik kepada pemilik untuk menarik pelanggan ke premis mereka melakukan urusan.
"Namun, jika ia membabitkan kos tinggi untuk setiap ujian dijalankan, ini boleh merugikan pemilik premis. Perlu fikirkan juga alternatif untuk menangani masalah kos ini," katanya kepada BH, hari ini.
Beliau mengulas cadangan pakar kesihatan awam supaya pemilik premis tertutup mengukur tahap kandungan karbon dioksida sebagai langkah mengurangkan risiko penyebaran COVID-19.
Pemeriksaan kepekatan karbon dioksida secara berkala membolehkan pemilik premis menguji kecekapan sistem pengudaraan dalaman supaya ia berada dalam keadaan baik dan mengelakkan jangkitan COVID-19 yang tersebar melalui udara.
Mohd Yusof berkata, ujian berkala mengukur tahap karbon dioksida juga membantu meningkatkan keyakinan pelanggan dan orang awam untuk berurusan di sesuatu premis termasuk pasar raya, pejabat dan restoran.
Sumber: https://www.bharian.com.my/berita/nasional/2021/09/862678/jangan-sampai-pemilik-premis-terbeban-fomca
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September 15, 2021
SHAH ALAM, 15 SEPT: “Pengguna secara takrifannya melibatkan kita semua, pengguna yang merupakan kumpulan ekonomi yang terbesar dalam ekonomi negara, mempengaruhi dan dipengaruhi oleh hampir setiap keputusan ekonomi peribadi dan umum. Tetapi mereka adalah satu-satunya kumpulan penting yang tidak diurus secara berkesan, yang pandangan mereka yang tidak didengari” – John F. Kennedy, bekas presiden Amerika Syarikat (1962).
Semua pihak sedang terkesan akibat penularan wabak Covid-19 yang seterusnya menyebabkan rakyat dibelenggu dengan krisis ekonomi sebaik sahaja arahan Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan (PKP) dikeluarkan sejak Mac 2020 di mana rakyat tidak boleh keluar bekerja seperti biasa.
Perkara ini menyebabkan ramai rakyat yang makan gaji telah hilang pekerjaan, pemotongan gaji, cuti tanpa gaji manakala bagi rakyat yang bekerja sendiri pula terpaksa menggunakan wang simpanan yang ada untuk meneruskan kehidupan yang mendatang.
Apabila banyak pihak yang terdesak, terdapat pula isu peniaga yang tidak bertanggungjawab mula mengambil kesempatan di atas kesempitan rakyat. Oleh sebab itu, pengguna perlu melengkapkan diri dengan ilmu kesedaran hak dan tanggungjawab pengguna dan pengguna juga perlu lebih bijak dalam membuat pilihan supaya anda tidak terpedaya dengan urusan jual beli barangan atau perkhidmatan yang tidak adil.
Pihak KPDNHEP telah menjalankan kajian Consumer Empowerment Index (CEI) bagi tahun 2020 yang merangkumi tiga domain utama iaitu keputusan membeli, celik kewangan dan tebus rugi. Hasil daripada kajian tersebut, peratusan CEI bagi pengguna secara keseluruhannya di peringkat nasional ialah 63.1 peratus yang bermaksud tahap kesedaran pengguna Malaysia berada di tahap sederhana. Manakala CEI bagi peringkat Selangor pula ialah 66.7 peratus.
Berdasarkan data tersebut juga menunjukkan beberapa daerah yang agak rendah tahap kesedaran pengguna iaitu daerah Sepang, Kuala Selangor dan Sabak Bernam. Pengguna di Selangor kebanyakannya mempunyai kesedaran mengenai isu kepenggunaan tetapi mereka agak skeptikal dengan tuntutan tebus rugi kerana kebanyakannya berpendapat usaha mereka tidak berbaloi dan juga urusan tuntutan yang agak rumit yang melemahkan semangat mereka untuk membuat tuntutan.
Di sini FOMCA ingin berkongsikan mengenai lapan hak pengguna untuk pemerkasaan diri pengguna. Pada tahun 1962, John F. Kennedy, bekas presiden Amerika Syarikat telah menetapkan empat hak pengguna yang utama iaitu hak untuk mendapatkan keselamatan; hak untuk mendapatkan maklumat; hak untuk membuat pilihan dan hak untuk mendapatkan ganti rugi.
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The traditional financial economy was already evolving towards a digital financial economy, even before covid. However, during the covid and the lockdowns more people, even those who were never consumers of digital finance, began to move towards digital finance.
The movement of the traditional brick and mortar financial industry towards a digital financial industry has been greatly hastened by the covid pandemic.
While the younger generation have been more immersed in the digital economy, through online purchasing and online financial services, it cannot be assumed that young people automatically have all the skills, knowledge and understanding they need to apply to their use of technology.
They maybe fully immersed in the digital economy but are not necessarily digitally literate.
Digital financial economy would certainly be of greater challenges for the more vulnerable groups such as senior citizens, those unskilled in technology as well as groups with limited access to both the knowledge and skills as well as the means to use technology effectively and safely.
Fintech, that is using software, applications and digital platforms to deliver financial services to consumers and businesses through digital devices such as smartphones, is being increasingly used by Malaysians as well throughout the world, especially during the lockdowns due to pandemic Populations, such as senior citizens, who probably never have used fintech before have been often forced to do their banking online.
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14 September 2021
SHAH ALAM - Kerajaan perlu menetapkan satu garis panduan mengenai penjualan dan penggunaan penyedut oksigen mudah alih yang berada di pasaran supaya tidak menimbulkan risiko-risiko tertentu.
Timbalan Presiden Gabungan Persatuan-Persatuan Pengguna Malaysia (FOMCA), Mohd Yusof Abdul Rahman berkata, semua peralatan perlu mendapatkan kelulusan daripada Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (KKM) terlebih dahulu supaya dapat memastikan keselamatan dan kualiti produk berkenaan terjamin.
“Peralatan seperti ini (penyedut oksigen mudah alih) melibatkan penggunaan menyedut dan mungkin boleh menimbulkan risiko.
“KKM perlu mengeluarkan satu garis panduan jika peralatan itu perlu mendapatkan kelulusan sebelum dijual di pasaran.
“Ia perlu melalui proses pemeriksaan makmal untuk menguji keselamatan peralatan tersebut dan juga manual untuk pengguna supaya tidak disalahgunakan,” katanya kepada Sinar Harian pada Isnin.
Mengulas lanjut, Mohd Yusof turut menyarankan orang ramai supaya mendapatkan khidmat nasihat daripada pakar tentang penggunaan produk tambahan oksigen terutamanya bagi yang membeli secara dalam talian.
“Sekarang ini banyak orang suka membeli melalui dalam talian sebab harganya murah tetapi kadang-kadang kita tidak tahu keselamatannya.
Sumber : https://www.sinarharian.com.my/article/161281/BERITA/Nasional/Penyedut-oksigen-Kerajaan-perlu-tetap-garis-panduan
© 2018 Hakcipta Terpelihara Kumpulan Karangkraf
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03 September 2021
SHAH ALAM - Kerajaan perlu mengkaji semula penetapan harga siling runcit RM19.90 bagi satu set kit ujian kendiri Covid-19 yang akan berkuat kuasa Ahad ini.
Presiden Gabungan Persatuan-Persatuan Pengguna Malaysia (Fomca), Datuk Dr Marimuthu Nadason sebaliknya berkata, harga siling RM9.90 adalah lebih sesuai supaya orang ramai mampu membelinya.
Beliau berkata, kerajaan perlu memahami keadaan ekonomi rakyat yang tidak menentu sekarang.
“Harga RM19.90 terlalu mahal. Kami mahu harga RM9.90 kerana ia dijangka menjadi kegunaan ramai terutama golongan miskin, berpendapatan rendah, pekerja kilang, pekerja pembinaan dan pekerja warga asing.
“Kami dapat membayangkan keadaan kewangan mereka. Golongan berkenaan tidak mampu kerana bukan hanya set kit ujian kendiri Covid-19, malah terpaksa membeli pelitup muka dan cecair pembasmi kuman.
“Keadaan ini akan menjadikan rakyat semakin tertekan sehingga ada yang memakai pelitup muka sama berulang kali," katanya kepada Sinar Harian.
Marimuthu berkata demikian mengulas mengenai pengumuman penetapan harga siling bagi kit ujian pantas antigen Covid-19 oleh Menteri Perdagangan Dalam Negeri dan Hal Ehwal Pengguna, Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi dan Menteri Kesihatan, Khairy Jamaludin Abu Bakar dalam satu kenyataan bersama pada Khamis.
Marimuthu berkata, set kit ujian kendiri Covid-19 perlu dimasukkan dalam harga kawalan barangan bagi mengelakkan ada pihak mengambil keuntungan secara melampau.
Artikel Penuh : https://www.sinarharian.com.my/article/159238/BERITA/Nasional/Harga-siling-masih-mahal-Fomca
© 2018 Hakcipta Terpelihara Kumpulan Karangkraf
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August 25, 2021 @ 5:37pm
LETTERS: Social protection includes policies, programmes and measures aimed at ensuring a basic standard of living for a nation's people and protecting people against major shocks such as serious illnesses, injury and unemployment.
The covid pandemic which certainly seriously damaged people's livelihood has severely tested the current social protection policies. Bank Negara would suggest that there are three components of social protection – social safety nets, social insurance and labour market policies.
Social safety nets aim to ensure basic needs are met: Example food, housing, health and education as well as eradicating poverty. The forms of social safety net include cash transfers, as well as in-kind benefits such as public hospitals and schools.
During Covid, the Rakyat Stimulus Packages were introduced to assist workers affected by the pandemic. Direct cash assistance of one-off RM500 to RM1,600 (under the Bantuan Prihatin Nasional) and cash assistance of one off RM350 to RM1,800 (Banuan Prihatin Rakyat) were given to those affected.
The Poverty Line Wage in Malaysia is RM2,208 per month, with RM1,169 for food and RM1,038 for non-food items. Further according to Bank Negara Malaysia living wage in Kuala Lumpur for single, childless couples and couples with two children are at RM2,700, RM4,500 and RM6,500 respectively.
Thus, clearly the assistance provided is substantially below the poverty line or the living wage. Thus, the support is for families and households is clearly inadequate.
Read more: Covid should force re-think on social protection reform
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Wednesday, 25 Aug 2021
PETALING JAYA: Covid-19 self-test kits should be made more affordable with the government subsidising the cost or giving them free to those from low-income families, say consumer and health groups.
The government’s efforts of encouraging the public to self-test for Covid-19 is lauded by consumer groups, but the self-test kits should cost less.
Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association president Datuk Dr Marimuthu Nadason said the government should subsidise the cost of the self-tests kit as not everyone can afford them.
“Imagine a family of five, when they need to undergo the test, they need to fork out almost RM100 for everyone in the family.
"The government should do everything possible to help the rakyat, including giving subsidies for the kits, or even giving them free to the underprivileged,” Dr Marimuthu said.
He suggests that the home testing kits be sold for as low as RM10.
Currently, there are 12 self-test kits that are approved by the Malaysian Device Authority (MDA) in the market, costing between RM28 and RM41.
In Singapore, according to a report by The Straits Times, the cost of self-test kits ranges from S$10 (RM31) to S$13 (RM40), while in South Korea, the self-test kits, which are available for purchase through online shopping platforms, cost as low as 9,000 won (RM32).
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August 24, 2021 @ 2:05pm
GEORGE TOWN: The Consumers' Association of Penang (CAP) has urged authorities to prohibit the sale of fake meat in view of the potential harm related to its consumption.
According to CAP president Mohideen Abdul Kader, fake meat may seem like a dream come true for meat-conscious eaters, but it falls short of the hype.
"It is a processed products that is nutritionally inferior to real meat. The idea of eating less meat is a worthy one, but swapping it out for plant-based alternatives is not healthy as perceived.
"Consumers should not be duped into it," he said today.
Mohideen said, lately, Malaysians were being gobbled up by a meaty scandal.
He said many were rightfully livid, demanding justice be meted out to the unethical individuals who had been feeding Malaysians fake Halal meat that is not Halal or may have been mixed with diseased kangaroo and horse meat.
Mohideen said, lately, Malaysians were being gobbled up by a meaty scandal.
He said many were rightfully livid, demanding justice be meted out to the unethical individuals who had been feeding Malaysians fake Halal meat that is not Halal or may have been mixed with diseased kangaroo and horse meat.
Source: https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2021/08/720792/cap-dont-be-duped-fake-meat
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